Topic Environmental
Why liability insurance did not cover the defence of a remediation order
June 18, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAn eastern Ontario municipality does not have coverage with any of its four former liability insurers for a dispute with the provincial environment ministry over alleged pollution occurring more than six decades ago. That’s because the insurance policies in question…
Updated tailings code after Mount Polley disaster an improvement: B.C. mines auditor
June 18, 2021 by The Canadian PressVICTORIA – A new report says changes to British Columbia’s requirements for tailings storage after the Mount Polley disaster have generally improved the management of mining waste. The mines chief auditor found many of the revisions made in 2016 to…
How much property coverage capacity Canada’s oil sands has lost
June 15, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe withdrawal of “hundreds of millions” of capacity for property risks related to Canada’s oil sands is creating a new challenge for brokers trying to place insurance for oil and gas clients, a broker executive reports. Some insurers have taken…
How to be really customer-centric: Lessons from the global insurance market
June 11, 2021 by Jason ContantCanada’s property and casualty insurance industry should look towards the global insurance market for some insights about how to increase take-up rates, particularly among marginalized and low-income people, speakers said Thursday at the CatIQ Connect virtual conference. In the global…
Auditor scolds Alberta over mine cleanup fund, how province handles polluted sites
June 11, 2021 by Bob Weber - THE CANADIAN PRESSEDMONTON – Alberta’s auditor general is criticizing the government for failing to fix problems pointed out six years ago in a program that’s supposed to guarantee coal and oilsands mines clean up after themselves. Doug Wylie says there’s so much…
In pollution claim, ‘sudden’ could mean several months, court finds
June 8, 2021 by Greg MeckbachInsurance coverage for a “sudden and accidental” release of diesel fuel can include a discharge that continued over several months, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal has ruled in a commercial coverage dispute. As a result of Zurich Insurance Company…
Insurance provider for Trans Mountain pipeline says it won’t renew policy
June 3, 2021 by The Canadian PressCALGARY – An insurance provider for the Trans Mountain pipeline said it will not renew its policy with the company when it expires in August. Argo Group International Holdings Ltd., an international underwriter based in Bermuda, said the project no…
How P&C insurers are using their muscle to reduce carbon
June 2, 2021 by David GambrillGlobal P&C insurers are not only setting ambitious carbon reduction targets for themselves, but they are also using their investment clout to restrict cover for high polluters in the oil and gas sectors, a commentary released by DBRS Morningstar Wednesday…
Are your condo clients covered for ‘special assessment’ costs?
June 2, 2021 by David GambrillIn an age when a condo corporation’s insurance may not provide enough coverage for an insured loss, brokers can help their clients by advising condo unit owners about the merits of special assessment insurance, one lawyer suggests. “It is important…
Pressure from investors isn’t the only reason insurers are exiting from fossil fuels
June 1, 2021 by Jason ContantMany insurers and reinsurers are considering or actively transitioning away from insuring fossil fuel companies as pressure mounts from investors and clients over environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. “But pressure from end investors isn’t the whole story,” Tom Johansmeyer,…
Abandoned oil and gas wells will be cleaned up despite backlog: Alberta regulator
May 31, 2021 by Bob Weber - THE CANADIAN PRESSEDMONTON – There’s lots of life in Alberta’s conventional oil industry and plenty of resources and political will to clean up the mess it leaves behind, says the head of the province’s energy regulator. “Will there be halcyon-days growth in…
Fracking likely to create stronger, more common earthquakes in B.C., study says
May 26, 2021 by Bob Weber - THE CANADIAN PRESSMore damaging earthquakes can be expected more often in northern British Columbia as fracking oil and gas wells increases pressure underground, says newly published research. “It makes earthquakes more common and it makes larger ones more common,” said Allan Chapman,…