Pollution Insurance for Alcohol Manufacturers & Distributors

The U.S. has seen a significant increase in wineries, distilleries, and breweries established over the past few decades, giving rise to an evolving business segment in the manufacturing and distributing industry. In addition to production and storage activities, these businesses often transport their products to stores and restaurants, as well as host people on-site for tastings and other gatherings.

What is the pollution exposure for alcohol manufacturers & distributors?

One of the most common misconceptions is that pollution events can only be caused by materials known to be hazardous. This is a mistake that can be very costly in the event of a release. Many types of consumables have been associated with hefty liability claims when their uncontrolled release into the environment has resulted in business interruption, fish kills, wetland destruction, or other natural resource damages. Pollution insurance policies typically have an extremely broad definition of “pollutant,” providing a breadth of coverage far beyond those generally perceived as known and regulated threats to the environment.

For this class of business, Beacon Hill can offer:

Site Pollution Liability
Designed to cover claims arising from pollution releases at, on, or emanating from a specific scheduled location. A “location” can be as broad as an entire piece of property or as narrow as a specified storage tank.

Transportation Pollution Liability
Covers insureds who need protection for pollution conditions caused during transportation. This coverage can also include loading/unloading should the insured’s cargo create a pollution condition.

Please contact us for more information or to hear about real news scenarios involving pollution releases for wineries, distilleries, and breweries.


Environmental Insurance Tools & Resources

Beacon Hill offers a number of tools to help you educate your clients on environmental exposures. We encourage you to use these resources to help your insureds understand the changing definition of environmental liability and the problems that could result from not being adequately covered. Check out Beacon Hill’s agent resources.