Marine Facilities Environmental and Regulatory Liabilities
Marine terminal facilities face a spectrum of environmental and regulatory exposures that necessitates meticulous attention. Addressing these challenges is paramount for maintaining compliance and minimizing risk. Among the most prevalent issues are:
Improperly Managed Underground Storage Tanks Ensuring the proper management of underground storage tanks and associated pipes is essential to prevent environmental hazards. It’s crucial to note that Underground Storage Tank Age Triggers may result in coverage changes, driven by federal regulations in the early to mid-1980s that mandated tank removal and replacement for stricter leak prevention and detection rules.
Abandoned Underground Tanks Identifying and addressing underground tanks that have been removed or abandoned for unknown reasons is critical to avoid potential liabilities.
Aboveground Storage Tank Inspections Regular testing and inspection of aboveground storage tanks are necessary to detect and prevent leakage through the bottom, especially when placed on soil.
Secondary Containment at Liquid Storage Tanks Ensuring proper secondary containment at bulk aboveground liquid storage tanks and piers during fuel coupling points is vital for spill prevention.
Integrity Testing of Fuel Transfer Pipelines Regular integrity testing of fuel transfer pipelines is essential to maintain a secure and reliable fuel transfer process.
Support Structures for Pipelines Ensuring robust pipeline support structures over surface waters prevents structural failures and potential environmental damage.
Fuel Spillage During Loading Operations Addressing sudden and chronic fuel spillage during land-to-marine vessel loading operations is crucial for environmental protection.
Large Quantity Fuel Spills from Barge Unloading Implementing measures to prevent large quantity fuel spills during the unloading of barges to land storage facilities is key.
Emergency Response Equipment and Plans Having sufficient emergency response equipment and well defined plans for addressing fuel spills to surface waters is essential for effective crisis management.
Compliance with Combustion Emission Standards Ensuring compliance with emission standards from fuel-burning marine vessels helps reduce environmental impact.
Proper Bilge Water Purging Proper procedures for purging bilge waters from marine vessels are essential to prevent pollution.
Asbestos and PCB Management Managing asbestos insulation around marinas and addressing PCB-containing electrical equipment associated with marinas are crucial steps in environmental risk reduction.
Effective Housekeeping Practices Maintaining high standards of housekeeping practices helps create a clean and safe environment, thereby reducing the risk of environmental incidents.
Site Pollution Policy Tank exposures can typically be underwritten into a site pollution policy—a comprehensive program addressing site wide pollution exposures—at a cost that can be relatively competitive annually within a three-year program term.
Vessel Pollution Liability This comprehensive coverage is designed to protect your business in the event or threat of a spill, tailored for vessels, shipyards, or marinas. It covers OPA, Non-OPA, Fines and Penalties, State Fines and Penalties, ERCLA, and Non-CERCLA.