Insurance for Remediation Contractors

The warning that contractor activities can cause environmental damage is often discounted by general or artisan contractors; however, remediation contractors are well aware of the potential environmental risks that may be incurred during site cleanups.

They are often the ones that develop site safety plans designed to respond to spills or releases of hazardous materials at contaminated job sites. This is why when something does occur, they are held to a higher ‘standard of care’ than other types of contractors at job sites and may be held responsible for environmental damage.

Although it is assumed that job sites overseen by remediation contractors will have less potential for additional environmental releases, this is often not the case. There have been many occurrences of spills and releases of hazardous materials at these job sites. One of the primary reasons for this is that very often, remediation activities are designed for contaminants that are below ground and not visible. In addition, remediation activities often take place in areas that have historically been used for disposal or industrial sites where additional contaminants are often uncovered when materials are excavated or about to be disposed of off-site. There have been claims against remediation contractors for exacerbating or creating additional contamination arising from sites that they have been brought in to clean up.

Claims that are often asserted against them typically include not only Contractors Pollution Liability claims, but also Professional Liability claims. This is because in addition to remediation activities, they also direct others, such as general contractors, laboratory personnel, waste disposal personnel, and other field contractors.