Environmental Liability Seminar

Seminar Summary

For many types of businesses, the actions of your employees and the events that take place on your property can cause significant damage to the environment that require a costly cleanup.

That’s why TriSure recently partnered with Highlands Environmental Solutions to host a seminar about regulatory changes, the risks to your business and how to appropriately respond to an incident.

Presenter

Joe Beaman, President, Highlands Environmental Solutions

Top Takeaways

• New administrations have brought new environmental initiatives.  The Obama administration has increased Brownfields funding; however, the USEPA has also increased enforcement of stormwater and Clean Water Act violations. 
  
  The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) has increased inspections of underground storage tank sites, and sedimentation and erosion control issues. 
  
  Enforcement activity (i.e. civil fines) has increased on both the federal and state level.  Your environmental consultant should be aware of and understand these policy changes.  Also, you should know if your environmental insurance policy covers legal defense fees and environmental fines that can total thousands of dollars.
  
  
• Environmental liability can be costly.  Understanding what poses environmental liability to your company is the first step in controlling this liability. Environmental due diligence should be part of your basic business operation.  Develop a simple corporate environmental policy, and make sure that your employees understand this policy.
  
  
• Expect the best...but plan for the worst.  Even the best plans and policies cannot prevent all disasters from occurring; however, you may still be held responsible for damages due to regulated releases from your facilities.
  
  Proper spill prevention control and countermeasures plans (SPCC), stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPP), and proper spill containment and control systems can greatly reduce your exposure to environmental liability due to disasters. 
  
  Consider retaining an environmental consultant that understands your business, so that you are not thumbing through the Yellow Pages when a disaster occurs. 
  

Presentation and Seminar Materials

The presentation materials shared in this seminar can be downloaded from TriSure Online. Contact Kirby Dibb at 919-469-2473 if you've forgotten your login information or to register for an account.