Blog

  • Natural Disaster Seasons Are A Great Time To Talk Pollution Insurance

    2017 Set Record for Losses from Natural Disasters:  Insurers are set to pay out a record $135 billion to cover losses from natural disasters.

    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.  Did you know 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.  You hear about storage tanks releasing their contents as debris crashes into them during flood season.  Pollutants spread out over miles from tornados or hurricanes.  Forest Fires engulfing communities and causing explosions that release pollutants in the air and the list goes on.

    Note:  Pollution losses tend to be a severity versus frequency issue.

    The Prospects you want to strategize with on the value pollution insurance adds to their business model during NDS are those that feel they do not have a pollution exposure.  For this example, let’s use real estate owners.  For sake of avoiding an argument, agree with the real estate owners they do not have a pollution exposure, but then ask, what if a natural disaster deposits pollutants onto your real estate?

    Note:  Under federal law, the real estate owner is ultimately responsible for the environmental condition of their property.

    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.

    http://www.advisen.com/tools/fpnproc/news_detail3.php?list_id=1&email=chris@ermi.us&tpl=news_detail3.tpl&dp=P&ad_scale=1&rid=300316308&adp=P&hkg=v17ZNLMWEU

  • Natural Disaster Seasons Are A Great Time To Talk Pollution Insurance

    2017 Set Record for Losses from Natural Disasters:  Insurers are set to pay out a record $135 billion to cover losses from natural disasters.

    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.  Did you know 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.  You hear about storage tanks releasing their contents as debris crashes into them during flood season.  Pollutants spread out over miles from tornados or hurricanes.  Forest Fires engulfing communities and causing explosions that release pollutants in the air and the list goes on.

    Note:  Pollution losses tend to be a severity versus frequency issue.

    The Prospects you want to strategize with on the value pollution insurance adds to their business model during NDS are those that feel they do not have a pollution exposure.  For this example, let’s use real estate owners.  For sake of avoiding an argument, agree with the real estate owners they do not have a pollution exposure, but then ask, what if a natural disaster deposits pollutants onto your real estate?

    Note:  Under federal law, the real estate owner is ultimately responsible for the environmental condition of their property.

    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.

    http://www.advisen.com/tools/fpnproc/news_detail3.php?list_id=1&email=chris@ermi.us&tpl=news_detail3.tpl&dp=P&ad_scale=1&rid=300316308&adp=P&hkg=v17ZNLMWEU

  • Families Sue Schools, State, Monsanto Over Chemical Pollution

    environmental Strategist, between the lines:  Educational institutions are one of the most at-risk businesses for environmental liabilities.  We know for a fact that our youth are some of the most susceptible to environmental exposures, as they’re still developing.

    I could strategize at length on the advantages for educational institutions to transfer their environmental liabilities to a third-party insurance carrier versus self-insuring.  When we work with Fortune 500 companies on transferring their environmental liabilities, first and foremost they want to buy coverage for bodily injury.

    Generally, however, “we do not have it in our budget” is often the response from an environmentally-uneducated insured.  The following question can be an effective way to counter that objection.   “When weighing the costs of obtaining this important coverage, it would be worthwhile to consider from what source would 100% of the funds come for legal fees, bodily injury to students or staff, clean-up costs, third party damages, third party business income, loss of state-matched funds during clean-up, etc. should an environmental loss occur?”

    Now that you have their attention, use the attached environmental Risk Assessment (eRA) for Educational Institutions to educate your insureds on the advantages of transferring their environmental liabilities to a responsible insurer.

    We’ve developed eRA’s for over 80+ classes of business to get you and your clients on the same page about the environmental exposures impacting their operations.  We send our eRA’s in a Word format, so you can cut and paste them into a marketing presentation that compliments your agencies marketing program.  Our partner agencies find utilizing the eRA’s is an excellent way to leverage their insurance sales through educating the client about the fiscal realities of pollution protection.  It genuinely does have a measurable impact to their bottom line and strategic financial planning.

    The eRA’s come in three parts:

    1. Review of environmental exposure impacting your insured.
    2. Environmental loss examples
    3. Environmental insurance coverages that are appropriate for the insured to consider.

    If your insured recognizes the value and elects to further pursue environmental insurance coverage, Environmental Risk Managers is here to make your job easier by utilizing our network and expertise to market your client’s submission and supply you with the best coverage options.

    https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/01/03/families-sue-school-state-monsanto-over_ap.html

  • Families Sue Schools, State, Monsanto Over Chemical Pollution

    environmental Strategist, between the lines:  Educational institutions are one of the most at-risk businesses for environmental liabilities.  We know for a fact that our youth are some of the most susceptible to environmental exposures, as they’re still developing.

    I could strategize at length on the advantages for educational institutions to transfer their environmental liabilities to a third-party insurance carrier versus self-insuring.  When we work with Fortune 500 companies on transferring their environmental liabilities, first and foremost they want to buy coverage for bodily injury.

    Generally, however, “we do not have it in our budget” is often the response from an environmentally-uneducated insured.  The following question can be an effective way to counter that objection.  “When weighing the costs of obtaining this important coverage, it would be worthwhile to consider from what source would 100% of the funds come for legal fees, bodily injury to students or staff, clean-up costs, third party damages, third party business income, loss of state-matched funds during clean-up, etc. should an environmental loss occur?”

    Now that you have their attention, use the attached environmental Risk Assessment (eRA) for Educational Institutions to educate your insureds on the advantages of transferring their environmental liabilities to a responsible insurer.

    We’ve developed eRA’s for over 80+ classes of business to get you and your clients on the same page about the environmental exposures impacting their operations.  We send our eRA’s in a Word format, so you can cut and paste them into a marketing presentation that compliments your agencies marketing program.  Our partner agencies find utilizing the eRA’s is an excellent way to leverage their insurance sales through educating the client about the fiscal realities of pollution protection.  It genuinely does have a measurable impact to their bottom line and strategic financial planning.

    The eRA’s come in three parts:

    1. Review of environmental exposure impacting your insured.
    2. Environmental loss examples
    3. Environmental insurance coverages that are appropriate for the insured to consider.

    If your insured recognizes the value and elects to further pursue environmental insurance coverage, Environmental Risk Managers is here to make your job easier by utilizing our network and expertise to market your client’s submission and supply you with the best coverage options.

    https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/01/03/families-sue-school-state-monsanto-over_ap.html

  • Drum Refurbishing: Who Are Your Neighbors?

    environmental Strategist, between the lines:  A huge environmental exposure most businesses do not think about comes from their neighbors.  When an environmental engineer conducts a Phase I site assessment they do a minimum of a 2-mile radius search of the subject property to see if any neighbors have been identified as contaminators that can impact third parties.

    Ask a business if they have any environmental exposures and over 90% will answer no.  As the link below points out, neighbors create a variety of environmental liabilities that impact third parties from air emissions, storm water runoff, vapor intrusion….

    Part of the Red Tide in the Gulf of Mexico is created by storm water runoff from farms, municipalities… that goes into the Mississippi river and is flushed out in the Gulf.  The Mississippi delivers contamination to the Gulf from over 2,000 miles away.

    The map below shows the nuclear fallout from the Fukushima nuclear reactor.  People living in Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, California Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada… were showered with nuclear contamination.

    Over 90% of the businesses do not realize or even think about how they are self-insuring for their neighbor’s environmental liabilities.  That is where environmental insurance can fill in a huge exposure and financial liability for a business.

    https://www.statesnews.us/drum-refurbishing-plant-where-worker-safety-problems-were-cited-closes-suddenly/

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/michigan-scrambles-address-chemical-contaminants-155149564.html

  • Drum Refurbishing: Who Are Your Neighbors?

    environmental Strategist, between the lines:  A huge environmental exposure most businesses do not think about comes from their neighbors.  When an environmental engineer conducts a Phase I site assessment they do a minimum of a 2-mile radius search of the subject property to see if any neighbors have been identified as contaminators that can impact third parties.

    Ask a business if they have any environmental exposures and over 90% will answer no.  As the link below points out, neighbors create a variety of environmental liabilities that impact third parties from air emissions, storm water runoff, vapor intrusion….

    Part of the Red Tide in the Gulf of Mexico is created by storm water runoff from farms, municipalities… that goes into the Mississippi river and is flushed out in the Gulf.  The Mississippi delivers contamination to the Gulf from over 2,000 miles away.

    The map below shows the nuclear fallout from the Fukushima nuclear reactor.  People living in Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, California Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada… were showered with nuclear contamination.

    Over 90% of the businesses do not realize or even think about how they are self-insuring for their neighbor’s environmental liabilities.  That is where environmental insurance can fill in a huge exposure and financial liability for a business.

    https://www.statesnews.us/drum-refurbishing-plant-where-worker-safety-problems-were-cited-closes-suddenly/

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/michigan-scrambles-address-chemical-contaminants-155149564.html

  • Trouble in the Magic Kingdom

    eS, between the lines:  In the past couple of years I have observed a significant increase in the number of Legionnaires’ outbreaks making the news.  When I make a statement like that it means you need to be strategizing with your insureds about their exposure to Legionnaires’ Disease.

    ERMI has sent out several articles on this significant health risk, but for a little background, Legionnaires’ Disease is caused by a bacteria called legionella that is spread through the air, not person to person.

    Legionnaires’ is an environmental exposure that can impact anyone using central air conditioning systems, fountains, room-air humidifiers, ice-making machines, whirlpool spas, water heating systems, showers, misting systems typically found in grocery-store produce sections, cooling towers used in industrial cooling systems, evaporative coolers, nebulizers, humidifiers, etc.

    If the Magic Kingdom, the “happiest place on earth,” can be impacted by Legionnaires’ Disease, just about anyone can.  Moreover, one can face the reputational risk it creates for those with a Legionnaires’ Liability.

    Site Pollution insurance policies can cover your insureds for Legionnaires’ Disease.  When it comes to strategizing with your insureds about Legionnaires’, the cleanup after an outbreak is the fourth concern your insured should be focused on.  The first three are:

    • Third-Party Bodily Injury
    • Defense Cost
    • First and Third-Party Business Income

    Can your insureds afford to self-insure as most businesses are right now for Legionnaires?

    What is your insured’s financial assurance strategy for Legionnaires’ Liabilities?

    Is your E&O insurance the only financial assurance strategy your insureds may have for Legionnaires’ Liabilities?

    Disneyland shuts down cooling towers over Legionnaires’ cases

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/12/health/disneyland-legionnaires-anaheim/index.html

  • Trouble in the Magic Kingdom

    eS between the lines: In the past couple of years I have observed a significant increase in the number of Legionnaires’ outbreaks making the news. When I make a statement like that it means you need to be strategizing with your insureds about their exposure to Legionnaires’ Disease.

    ERMI has sent out several articles on this significant health risk, but for a little background, Legionnaires’ Disease is caused by a bacteria called legionella that is spread through the air, not person to person.

    Legionnaires’ is an environmental exposure that can impact anyone using central air conditioning systems, fountains, room-air humidifiers, ice-making machines, whirlpool spas, water heating systems, showers, misting systems typically found in grocery-store produce sections, cooling towers used in industrial cooling systems, evaporative coolers, nebulizers, humidifiers, etc.

    If the Magic Kingdom, the “happiest place on earth,” can be impacted by Legionnaires’ Disease, just about anyone can. Moreover, one can face the reputational risk it creates for those with a Legionnaires’ Liability.

    Site Pollution insurance policies can cover your insureds for Legionnaires’ Disease. When it comes to strategizing with your insureds about Legionnaires’, the cleanup after an outbreak is the fourth concern your insured should be focused on. The first three are:

    •Third-Party Bodily Injury
    •Defense Cost
    •First and Third-Party Business Income

    Can your insureds afford to self-insure as most businesses are right now for Legionnaires?

    What is your insured’s financial assurance strategy for Legionnaires’ Liabilities?

    Is your E&O insurance the only financial assurance strategy your insureds may have for Legionnaires’ Liabilities?

    Disneyland shuts down cooling towers over Legionnaires’ cases

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/12/health/disneyland-legionnaires-anaheim/index.html

  • Sorry Charlie!

    Sorry Charlie!

    environmental Strategist®, between the lines:  eS can’t understate the reputational risk associated with environmental liabilities.  The article below on StarKist Tuna being fined and penalized for a variety of environmental violations is a reputational risk.  Unfortunately, since it happened on the American Samoa and not the mainland, it won’t get the same news coverage.  Did you hear about this?

    As the article states “Today’s agreement will help prevent hazardous releases at the StarKist facility, protect workers and the local community, and reduce pollution discharged into Pago Pago Harbor by more than 13 million pounds each year,”.  Should I buy StarKist tuna that contaminated their workers, community and environment or a different brand?  Not the words you want going through the minds of shoppers that buy tuna.

    After more than 30 years as an environmental risk manager, one common theme between businesses big and small is they struggle with managing their environmental exposures.  The value you bring in assisting businesses with managing and transferring their environmental exposures can’t be understated.  It also separates you away from the competition while positioning you as a trusted advisor and strategic partner.  www.estrategist.com was developed to assist you with managing and transferring your client’s environmental expousres.

    The oxymoron with StarKist, without water, StarKist has no product to sell yet their operations were contaminating the water.

    StarKist Paying CWA Penalty, Improving American Samoa Plant

    https://eponline.com/Articles/2017/09/13/StarKist-Paying-CWA-Penalty.aspx?Page=2

  • Sorry Charlie!

    Sorry Charlie!

    environmental Strategist®, between the lines:  eS can’t understate the reputational risk associated with environmental liabilities.  The article below on StarKist Tuna being fined and penalized for a variety of environmental violations is a reputational risk.  Unfortunately, since it happened on the American Samoa and not the mainland, it won’t get the same news coverage.  Did you hear about this?

    As the article states “Today’s agreement will help prevent hazardous releases at the StarKist facility, protect workers and the local community, and reduce pollution discharged into Pago Pago Harbor by more than 13 million pounds each year,”.  Should I buy StarKist tuna that contaminated their workers, community and environment or a different brand?  Not the words you want going through the minds of shoppers that buy tuna.

    After more than 30 years as an environmental risk manager, one common theme between businesses big and small is they struggle with managing their environmental exposures.  The value you bring in assisting businesses with managing and transferring their environmental exposures can’t be understated.  It also separates you away from the competition while positioning you as a trusted advisor and strategic partner.  www.estrategist.com was developed to assist you with managing and transferring your client’s environmental expousres.

    The oxymoron with StarKist, without water, StarKist has no product to sell yet their operations were contaminating the water.

    StarKist Paying CWA Penalty, Improving American Samoa Plant

    https://eponline.com/Articles/2017/09/13/StarKist-Paying-CWA-Penalty.aspx?Page=2