Massive gas leak near Los Angeles plugged after 16 weeks
February 12, 2016 Brian Melley - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSLOS ANGELES – A blowout at a natural gas well that gushed uncontrollably for 16 weeks and drove thousands of residents from their Los Angeles homes was plugged Thursday, a utility said. While the well still needs to be permanently…
App to help customers have quicker environmental spill emergency response: Zurich
February 8, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterZurich has released a mobile app – designed for qualified customers throughout North America in industries that deal with hazardous materials – meant to help them speed up response to spills requiring emergency environmental clean-up. The Zurich Environmental Emergency Response…
Alberta offers rebates to municipalities, farms that set up solar power
February 5, 2016 Bob Weber - THE CANADIAN PRESSEDMONTON – The Alberta government is adding another plank to its climate-change platform by providing more than $5.5 million to help farms and municipalities install solar panels. “This is just the beginning,” Environment Minister Shannon Phillips said Friday. “By investing…
Marketplace
February 1, 2016 Canadian UnderwriterTECHNOLOGY Ottawa, Manitoba expanding network of weather stations The federal and Manitoba governments are expanding the province’s network of automated weather stations to provide farmers with more accurate information on rain and snowfall distribution. “Data from these weather stations will…
B.C.’s public sector organizations generated 46,000 tonnes fewer GHG emissions in 2015 compared to 2010: Ministry of Environment
January 25, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterBritish Columbia’s 131 provincial public sector organizations generated 46,000 tonnes fewer greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in 2015 compared to the baseline year of 2010 – a reduction equivalent to the emissions produced by 9,800 cars in one year. The provincial…
Supreme Court of Canada will not hear appeal over commercial general liability policy with pollution exclusion
January 18, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from a Vancouver-area electroplating business that was unsuccessful it getting its insurer to defend it against lawsuits arising from a fire under a commercial general liability (CGL) policy with a…
Cyber, business interruption among top business risks in 2016 for Canadian respondents: Allianz
January 13, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterPollution and macroeconomic developments were among the top 10 most important business risks for 2016 identified by Canadian experts surveyed, which did not make the top 10 in 2015. Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE announced Wednesday its 5th annual…
U.S. Department of Justice files civil complaint against Volkswagen following emissions scandal
January 5, 2016 by Canadian UnderwriterThe United States Department of Justice has filed a civil complaint against Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche in connection with the ongoing emissions scandal. The complaint, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was filed on Monday in federal court…
Claims Against Directors
January 1, 2016 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorShareholders’ lawsuits alleging misrepresentation, pollution clean-up orders and privacy breaches are some of the major trends that could influence directors’ and officers’ (D&O) liability claims in Canada, experts suggest. The Supreme Court of Canada in December paved the way for class action lawsuits against a major Canadian bank and a motion picture firm – as well as directors and officers of each firm – arising from a drop in share price. Meanwhile, a clean-up order issued to directors of an insolvent Ontario manufacturer “set off alarm bells” among corporate directors, one lawyer reports.
Pollution Containment
January 1, 2016 Amira Palacios, Claims Consultant, Environmental Pollution; and Glen Hopkinson, Vice President and Head of Claims, Canada; XL-CatlinMinimizing the severity of a pollution claim requires contingency planning and an immediate response. While many commercial general liability policies do not cover pollution, some insurers offer in-house expertise in emergency response, environmental remediation and applicable regulations.
Willis reports ‘relative slowdown’ in claims for International Group of Protection & Indemnity clubs
December 22, 2015 by Canadian UnderwriterThe International Group of Protection & Indemnity Clubs, which write liability insurance for ship owners, is “in the healthiest state in its history,” while the majority of its 13 members are planning to raise premiums 2.5% on renewal in 2016,…
Construction waste landslide buries buildings in Shenzhen, China; 85 people missing
December 21, 2015 Paul Traynor - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSSHENZHEN, China – Rescuers searched Monday for 85 missing people a day after the collapse of a mountain of excavated soil and construction waste that had been piled up over two years in China’s manufacturing centre of Shenzhen. Authorities said…