ABSTRACT
The type of environmental insurance most in demand in the UK over the past few years was probably that needed to cover the financial risks associated with historical contamination. To place this cover, the insurer will require sufficient information in the form of environmental survey reports to define the business risk. Where the site is a new development on agricultural land, a simple desktop survey may suffice. However, where there is a history of industrial activity, an intrusive survey is usually required. It is important to emphasise that the insurance addresses the business risk rather than the environmental risk. Policies have been placed where the site was legally contaminated, but where the circumstances
or situation were such that the risk of enforcement action or third party civil action was unlikely.
