On April 22nd, 2010, the 2008 EPA Lead Rule became effective, which could potentially increase contractors’ risk for pollution liability claims. This Rule states that “contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices […]

On February 1st, 2010, New Day Underwriting Managers celebrated five years bringing optimal risk management solutions to our broker partners and their clients. It was five years ago that Jeff Lejfer, Jeff Slivka and Tim Farrell sat in a corner booth of a local restaurant and sketched out their vision for taking a new approach to […]

On February 1, 2010, the EPA effluent limitations guidelines and new source performance standards went into effect. These regulations were established in December 2009 “to control the discharge of pollutants from construction sites.” According to the U.S. EPA website, the following are some of the discharges prohibited: Wastewater from washout of concrete, from washout and […]

Dow Jones News Service (11/23/09) via Advisen The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule Monday aimed at reducing pollution from construction sites, saying that will significantly improve the quality of water nationwide. Read more.

The New York Times (1/20/10) via Advisen New York City school officials have agreed to assess the environmental risks posed by PCBs in school buildings and to come up with a plan for cleanups and for reducing potential exposure, federal officials said Tuesday.  Read more.

Associated Press via The Washington Examiner (2/2/10)   A drilling technique that is beginning to unlock staggering quantities of natural gas underneath Appalachia also yields a troubling byproduct: powerfully briny wastewater that can kill fish and give tap water a foul taste and odor.  Read more.

Associated Press (1/25/10) via Advisen The federal government is gearing up for a project to remove contaminated soils from an Evansville neighborhood starting this spring.  Read more.

Associated Press (2/17/10) via Advisen Mountains of grimy snow piled in parking lots aren’t the prettiest sight in East Coast communities, but experts say leaving it there until the spring thaw is less toxic to the environment than dumping it into freshwater rivers, streams and creeks.  Read more.

 The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA (4/2/10) via Advisen On multiple occasions last year, untreated storm water from a north Spokane freeway construction site illegally spilled into Deadman Creek, a stream that flows into the Little Spokane River.  Read more.

Wall Street Journal (5/29/10) via Advisen The owners of a luxury condominium in Battery Park City are suing for $1.5 million in damages because they say the eco-friendly building isn’t green enough.  Read more.

An excavation contractor purchased pollution coverage for $8,000. The driver for purchasing coverage was encountering pre-existing contamination in soil on a project and realizing that there was no coverage in their General Liability (GL) policy for this risk. An electric contractor purchased pollution and professional coverage for $30,500. The reason for purchasing was a contractual […]

The construction manager of a construction, renovation and expansion project for a food distribution center hired an insured to construct and install a new refrigeration system at the facility. The insured was cutting a section of pipe when approximately 50 pounds of ammonia was released as a gaseous cloud inside the facility. It took over […]