ABSTRACT
Hazardous waste management has evolved steadily over the last several years, making the issue of liability insurance for releases of hazardous materials to the environment very important. Many types of insurance potentially provide coverage depending on the nature of the business operation, insured event, and environmental damages. Some policies were purchased to conform to government grant or contract conditions. Consultants and engineers performing professional services usually have professional liability coverage. Some pollution on real estate may trigger title insurance. Property damage is typically defined as “physical injury to or destruction of tangible property which occurs during the policy period.” The technical experts try to discover the time of occurrence, such as when an underground tank began to leak, how much hazardous material escaped, what amount of soil and groundwater is contaminated, how serious is the contamination, whether it has traveled off-site, and what technologies can be used to remedy the situation.
