Environmental Liability Insurance is not limited to businesses traditionally viewed as major polluters.
A wide range of businesses can have environmental exposures.
What industries can consider the cover? #
Examples include:
- Property owners.
- Manufacturers.
- Construction contractors.
- Civil contractors.
- Environmental remediation contractors.
- Warehouses.
- Transport businesses.
- Waste businesses.
- Fuel-related businesses.
- Property developers.
- Commercial landlords.
Why can property owners face environmental liability? #
A property owner can sometimes face clean-up or remediation costs even where the pollution was caused by:
- A tenant.
- A former occupant.
- A contractor.
- Historical operations.
This can create an exposure beyond ordinary property insurance.
What about contractors? #
Contractors can create pollution exposures through activities such as:
- Excavation.
- Fuel handling.
- Accidental spills.
- Damage to underground services or tanks.
- Movement of contaminated soil.
- Remediation work.
How do I know if the exposure is material? #
Consider:
- Materials used or stored.
- Work undertaken.
- Previous site use.
- Nearby waterways.
- Underground tanks.
- Hazardous substances.
- Contractual requirements.
- Potential clean-up costs.
The risk can exist even where pollution exposure is not the business’s primary activity.

