Latest Pollution Headlines

All the headlines from our Pollution Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Florida Gas Stations Say Insurance Rule on Upgrading Tanks Too Costly

Jan 27 2009 // First it was high credit card fees. Then came higher gas prices. Now, hundreds of gas stations around the state are shutting down because their insurance companies will not renew policies unless stations install new...

Wisconsin Verdict Against Insurers on Fox River Pollution Upheld

Jan 26 2009 // A jury verdict that nine insurance companies are liable for costs of cleaning up PCB pollution of the lower Fox River in Wisconsin has been upheld by a Brown County judge. The jury had found that the insurance firms were...

People

Jan 25 2009 // The Insurance Marketing and Communications Association named Richard Look president. He is a marketing communications veteran with agency and insurance company experience, and currently serves as vice president of...

People

Jan 25 2009 // Risk management and insurance services provider IMA of Texas Inc. announced additions to its Health Care, Employee Benefits and Surety departments. Michael J. Jacoby has been hired as vice president and national director...

People

Jan 25 2009 // American International Group Inc. (AIG) named Russell Johnston president and CEO of AIG Environmental, a unit of AIG Commercial Insurance. Johnston joined AIG in 1990 serving in senior management positions within...

California Appeals Court Reverses Pollution Liability Decision

Jan 25 2009 // The 4th District of the California Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court decision in a pollution liability case, State of California v. Continental Insurance Co. et al. The decision is likely to influence courts...

Insurer’s Fire v. Pollution Argument Dismissed in Houston Court

Jan 22 2009 // Ohio-based Great American Insurance Company and its policyholder have reached an agreement with respect to all outstanding issues relating to the availability of excess insurance coverage for lawsuits brought by families...

Kellogg Recalls 16 Products Due to Salmonella Risk

Jan 20 2009 // Kellogg Co. has recalled 16 products containing peanut butter due to possible salmonella contamination, adding new urgency to the nationwide outbreak as federal officials confirmed contamination at a Georgia facility that...

Kronenberg Named President of Target Markets Program Administrators

Jan 13 2009 // The Target Markets Program Administrators Association has introduced Bill Kronenberg as its new president. Kronenberg comes to the position of president as Greg Thompson, chairman and CEO of Thomco, steps down after...

XL Expands Pollution Coverage for Contractors

Jan 13 2009 // XL Insurance now offers several program enhancements to its pollution coverages for contractors, extending environmental coverage for all aspects of a contractor’s operations, both on and off the jobsite, the company...

People

Jan 11 2009 // Jim Johnstone has joined Westbrook, Conn.-based The Gowrie Group of Cos. as a producer in the Boat/Yacht department. Jim brings deep marine and sailing industry expertise that will enable Gowrie to broaden its reach into...

People

Jan 11 2009 // Markel Corp. has promoted Henry Lopez to executive vice president for the Markel Midwest region. Lopez has been with Markel since 1995 and most recently was the vice president, director of business development for...

Zurich N.A. Names Dunai to Lead Environmental Unit

Jan 8 2009 // Zurich North America appointed Julie Dunai as head of its Environmental unit. In this role, Dunai will oversee all aspects of the unit’s operations, which deliver insurance solutions addressing professional liability...

California Appeals Court Reverses Pollution Liability Decision

Jan 7 2009 // The 4th District of the California Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court decision in a pollution liability case, State of California v. Continental Insurance Co. et al. Policyholders are entitled to the full policy...

AIG’s Boren, O’Brien to Head New Ironshore Environmental Insurance Unit

Jan 6 2009 // Bermuda-based Ironshore Inc. announced that Joe Boren and John O’Brien have joined as CEO and president, respectively, of its newly established Environmental Insurance facility. The company said the new unit will...

Johnston Named CEO of AIG Environmental; Hanna Named COO

Jan 6 2009 // AIG has named Russell Johnston as president and CEO of AIG Environmental, a unit of AIG Commercial Insurance. Johnston assumes management responsibility for AIG Environmental from Joseph Boren, who has left the company to...

Illinois Attorney General Settles with Hotel Owner in Asbestos Removal Case

Jan 5 2009 // The owner of a now-demolished southern Illinois hotel has agreed to pay $30,000 as part of a settlement with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan over asbestos that she says was improperly removed. The Illinois...

Rates Fall for Mine Subsidence Insurance in Pennsylvania

Dec 31 2008 // Staring tomorrow, homeowners and commercial building owners in Pennsylvania can take advantage of substantially lower rates for mine subsidence insurance, making it more affordable to protect against catastrophic damage...

Colorado Indicts Man in Asbestos Case

Dec 30 2008 // Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced that the Statewide Grand Jury has indicted Richard Oliver on four felony charges involving asbestos removal and disposal. The charges include causing or contributing to a...

Cleanup of Oklahoma Zinc Smelter to Cost $6.6M; Viacom to Pay

Dec 30 2008 // Heavy-metal contaminants left by an Oklahoma zinc smelter that closed more than eight decades ago will be cleaned up through a $6.6 million plan chosen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The former Tulsa Fuel and...