Oil Spill In Your Own Backyard

As we watch the results of the oil spill down south I can't help but think about the possibility of an oil spill in our own area.

Pollution is an exposure everywhere we go and in all aspects of our personal lives. Did you know that an oil spill can happen at your home? What about while driving your car or your boat?

Are you aware of the exposures and how your insurance policies will respond?

For sure, prevention is the best first step to controlling your exposure and legal responsibility to pollutants.

At home, probably your largest exposure is your heating oil tank. Chances are it's in your basement. If you have a dirt floor you should put your oil tank on a cement slab. Oil tanks don't last forever and if you spring a leak you are looking at needing to have the dirt in your basement cleaned up properly. You wouldn't want that oil to leach into your well or our public water system. Remember, it came from your house....it's your responsibility. Keep an eye on the condition of your oil tank. If you see any signs of rotting or drips starting call for a replacement! You want to catch that before a big hole lets go and you lose your oil and then have a sticky mess to clean up.  Hopefully, your oil tank is sitting on top of a nice solid sheet of cement. Containment is the key to easy clean up.

What about your sump pump? Can oil on your cement floor work its way into the sump pump and out of our house? Be sure this isn't the case since you don't want to be responsible for cleaning up the city!

Your automobile is probably pretty safe although you should be aware of any leaks from underneath your car. Look for dark spots on your garage floor or on your driveway. Any areas of leaks should be cleaned up and the material should be properly disposed of so as not to spread the pollution.  You should also make an appointment with a car repair service to prevent future drips and spills.

Boats, on the other hand, since there is a good chance you are fueling by hand from a can or dockside over the water, you want to be really careful of every move you make. A can of gas and oil dropped into the water can be quite a thing to explain let alone clean up.

Another source of pollution with a boat is when boats are damaged and sink. You can't just look the other way and swim to shore. It's your boat and your responsibility to remove it from the bottom of the body of water. Check to see how your boat insurance coverage might handle this exposure, coverage can vary from company to company.

Same is true with recreational vehicles. If you drive your ATV or snowmobile into the lake, you need to remove it. Insurance policies on these toys may have coverage built-in to absorb the expense of cleaning up after an accident. Just one more reason to have these items insured. Be sure you know your coverage and your exposure.

Plug the leaks, secure the tanks and take precautions everywhere you.  You never know when the driver ahead of you at the gas station is going to drive away with the hose still in their tank!