Acknowledgement to XL Environmental THE CLAIM An explosion and a series of fires occurred at an XL insured’s chemical plant. The explosion occurred while workers were unloading chemicals from train cars. The fire department responded to the scene. Fire suppression water flowed one mile away onto an adjacent property, contaminating the adjacent location. Our insured […]

Acknowledgement to XL Environmental THE CLAIM An XL insured chemical blending and distribution facility experienced a fire and explosion. The fire originated from the packaging area of the plant and occurred as an operator was filling a steel tote tank with ethyl acetate. The cause of the fire was a static electrical spark resulting from […]

Acknowledgement to XL Environmental THE CLAIM Soil sampling activities at an XL insured’s facility indicated low levels of fertilizer constituent contamination over a large percentage of the site. Sampling results were submitted to the state regulatory agency which required a corrective action plan (CAP) be submitted for approval, subsequent site excavation and remediation. A toxic […]

Acknowledgement to XL Environmental THE CLAIM An XL insured retail agricultural-chemical distribution facility selling bulk fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides was inspected by a state environmental protection agency (EPA). The EPA inspection found several fresh spills of liquid and dry fertilizers at various locations around the insured’s property. Soil samples indicated widespread concentrations of nitrates, sulfates, […]

Acknowledgement to XL Environmental THE CLAIM An XL insured chemical manufacturer received rail cars of sodium hydroxide on its rail spur, located on its property. While performing offloading operations, a large release of sodium hydroxide from a rail car occurred. The release was caused when a 2 inch hose dislodged from its connection coupling. More […]

A manufacturer of cast iron pipe was fined $8 million for dozens of environmental violations and lying about numerous safety violations at its plant along the Delaware River. The company is under federal monitor for a four-year probationary period. Prosecutors sought a maximum fine of $15 million for the company, which was convicted in 2006 […]

A lawsuit accuses a tannery of contaminating farmland with a chemical that caused brain-tumors in residents of a Missouri town.  The tannery is alleged to have used hexavalent chromium to remove hair from hides, and then providing the resulting waste product to area farmers to use as fertilizer. The lawsuit claims thousands of tons of […]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing to fine a chemical company $121,500 for a toxic leak that led to an acid cloud forcing hundreds of western Pennsylvania residents to evacuate. OSHA reports that the company committed 27 serious safety violations when 3,300 pounds of oleum leaked when a transfer tank overflowed because […]

Fifty-nine of 74 private water wells in Oklahoma have tested positive for total coliform bacteria, a group of bacteria that indicate environmental pollution. In addition, 17 of those 59 wells tested positive for E. coli, according to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).  The town suffered a deadly E. coli outbreak that is suspected to […]

A Scottsdale, Arizona woman was awarded $3.3 million in a suit she filed after mold in her apartment building left her permanently disabled.  The woman moved to an upscale apartment complex in Scottsdale in 2000 and within two years became ill.  The 47-year-old moved out after learning about the mold contamination from neighbors.  The building owners […]

An XL insured purchased a property formerly used as an independent testing facility for a wide range of aerospace, military and commercial purposes. The insured’s intention was to re-sell the property to a developer for residential housing. Litigation was filed by more than 90 nearby residents claiming bodily injury and property damage as a result […]

A copper mining company in Arizona has agreed to pay $825,000 to settle a federal lawsuit citing them for release of hazardous substances at one of their mining sites. The Environmental Protection Agency reached an agreement with the company requiring the clean up a portion of the mine site after reporting high levels of sulfate […]