United States Suffered Costliest Natural Disasters in 2018
As ERMI has coached in the past, Natural Disaster Seasons (NDS, i.e. Flooding, Tornados, Forest Fires, Hurricanes, earthquakes…) are a great time to talk pollution. Most pollution policies do not exclude Acts of God..
During NDS, national and local media are lighting up the airways / internet highway with all the pollution problems caused by natural disasters. The wildfires of California released all kinds of toxic chemicals contained in commercial buildings and homes. Residents will not be able to return their property until laborers in masks, Tyvek suits and booties begin cleaning up burned bottles of bleach, melted cans of paint, corroded car batteries…. They will need to scrape through soil until they hit layers that are free from oil and gas and other contaminants released during the fires.
As the fires burn up buildings and homes, they also release the components of modern daily life into the ground, water and atmosphere. In the charred footprint of each building / home lurks an invisible and dangerous legacy of toxic chemicals released by the blaze. There may be radioactive isotopes from burned-up antique crock ware, cupboards of incinerated household cleaners, and asbestos from old siding. Treated wood can release arsenic and chromium when burned. An incinerated computer monitor / television can expose heavy metals such as cadmium and lead. Heavy metals, chemicals and biological contaminants left behind demand a cleanup of extraordinary scale, before any residents return.
Note: Pollution losses tend to be a severity versus frequency issue.
Note: Under Federal law, property owners are ultimately responsible for the environmental condition of their property regardless of who or what caused the contamination.
It may not be until years later when the real estate owner goes to sell their property and an environmental site assessment unveils an environmental problem from pollutants deposited during NDS. Whose responsible?
Since every business is impacted by environmental exposures, it’s now part of “Best Practices” for businesses to have a financial assurance strategy in place to address their exposure to environmental liabilities caused by Natural Disasters.
As your team member for all things environmental, let ERMI know how we can assist you to drive your sales during NDS.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/29/us/california-fire-chemicals.html