Contractors Pollution Liability
Excavation is where hidden contamination comes to the surface — buried tanks, contaminated soil, and fuel spills from heavy equipment can all become expensive pollution claims.
Your general liability policy almost certainly excludes pollution. Contractors Pollution Liability (CPL) fills that gap, covering third-party bodily injury, property damage, and cleanup costs from a pollution condition caused by your work — plus legal defense.
It responds when your digging uncovers or spreads contamination, when equipment leaks, and when runoff or dewatering carries pollutants beyond the site.
Real-World Scenario
A crew strikes an abandoned underground fuel tank while trenching. Diesel seeps into the soil and migrates toward a neighboring property's well. The general liability policy excludes the contamination — a CPL policy covers the cleanup and the neighbor's claim.
Digging routinely uncovers buried tanks, contaminated soil, and utilities, and equipment can leak — all pollution conditions a general liability policy excludes.
Coverage can extend to contamination you disturb or spread during your operations, even if you did not originally cause it. Disclose known site conditions when you apply.
Related: Contractors Pollution Liability · Cost of coverage
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