Faster Spill Response, 24/7

When one of your company’s cars or trucks is in an accident, your first concern is naturally for the driver and other people involved. If the accident caused a spill that requires emergency environmental clean-up, this situation can set off a complicated and potentially expensive chain of events and requirements for reporting to regulatory authorities.

To help our customers with both the physical and financial aspects of an environmental clean-up, Zurich offers a Spill Reporting Online System. This 24-hour service facilitates a quick and effective response by dispatching clean-up contractors, coordinating regulatory reporting, and managing claims information. Our team is experienced in environmental emergency response, investigation and remediation of accidental releases of hazmat, diesel fuel and other regulated materials.

Zurich’s Spill Reporting Online provides:

• Contact and dispatch cleanup contractors faster – customers have access to over 400 Canadian and 3,100 U.S. qualified emergency spill response contractors
• Expedited release reporting by assisting with the coordination of cleanup activities from the initial response through release closure
• Maintenance of record of incident information
• Notification to customers’ in-house spill team when the account is customized to meet business needs

To offer this service Zurich utilizes the resources of Spill Center®, a leading specialist in environmental emergency response, investigation and remediation of accidental releases of hazmat and other regulated materials with over 20 years experience. This service is available to current customers for no additional charge.

 

 

Persistence pays off

A collision between two tractor trailers resulted in 85 drums of hazardous waste catching on fire and discharging a large quantity of waste into the soil. Through Zurich’s Spill Reporting Online System, a proactive discussion began immediately with the cleanup contractor. The contractor had classified the soil as hazardous waste that needed pretreatment prior to disposal through incineration. Zurich requested that the stockpile of contaminated soil be resampled to determine if the soil could be reclassified for disposal.

After additional disposal sampling was performed, the soil was reclassified as a hazardous waste that could be disposed of locally, meaning a lower disposal rate per ton. This disposal rate difference created a cost savings of $388,035. On top of these savings, transportation was reduced from $4,150 per load to $2,367 per load because the soil could be brought to a closer facility. Finally, upon review of the cleanup contractor invoicing, Zurich noted that the fuel surcharge was applied across the entire costs of the initial invoice. Additional negotiations reduced this amount as well.

Total cost savings = $453,509.25

Quick analysis reduces clean-up costs

More than 4,000 gallons of methanol based cleaning compound were dumped into a creek when a tanker truck struck a bridge abutment. Initially, the Texas Department of Environmental Quality (“TCEQ”) representative ordered that the water in the creek and nearby pond be drained and scraped. This scope of work would have involved a large amount of equipment and personnel along with large quantities of soil and liquid disposal costing in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Once the incident was reported on Zurich’s Spill Reporting Online System, we retained a local environmental consultant who determined that the methanol compound released would evaporate and degrade within eight days with no residual left behind. Based on this information, the TDEQ agreed to a less aggressive approach comprised of remediation of gross soil contamination and sampling of soil and surface water to confirm that the compound had degraded. Within two weeks of the incident, sample results confirmed that the contamination was below regulatory standards. Additionally, our onsite consultant reduced the project costs by having subcontractors bill our insured directly, reviewing contractor costs, and negotiating regulatory response costs.

Total reduction in clean-up costs = $305,271

This is intended as a general description of certain types of services available to customers through Zurich Insurance Company Ltd. We do not guarantee a particular outcome, reduction in costs and further assume no liability in connection with the providing of these services.

Spill Center, Inc. is not a subsidiary or affiliate of Zurich. Zurich expressly disclaims any and all damages and other costs that may arise related to the use of or reliance upon the products, services, representations or warranties made by or on behalf of Spill Center, Inc. 

Please note that reporting a spill to Spill Center does not constitute reporting a claim, nor does it guarantee that a spill is covered under your policy. The Spill Reporting Online System is not intended to be a substitute for reporting claims as required by the policy terms and conditions.