When conducting corrective action activities for an environmental concern, managing the financial resources and the associated fiscal documentation is second only to the actual environmental response activities. The costs associated with environmental assessment and remediation activities may be covered by a state administered Trust Fund or by private funding (insurance, trust, escrow account, etc.). State administered Trust Funds and private insurance typically have compliance requirements to be eligible, including substantial compliance with industry standards and regulatory rules and regulations. If these requirements are met, each covered release to the environment will have a specified coverage limit for costs associated with the environmental investigation and remediation processes, less an applicable deductible. However, unless the proper documentation is maintained by the environmental consultants and subcontractors completing the work, receiving reimbursement from these financial resources may take an inordinate amount of time, and improper claims documentation may result in repayment petitions may be denied.
Point to Point Environmental has extensive experience with maintaining the proper documentation and communicating with Trust Fund officials and insurance company adjusters so that our clients will realize the reimbursement they are eligible for. Without the security of trust fund coverage or insurance, the cost to complete the corrective action required for your property could easily drive a company into bankruptcy. Point to Point understands the stress associated with environmental liabilities, and we work to minimize your financial risks by maintaining detailed records for all environmental work completed. We will also assist with reviewing and compiling the documentation required by the trust fund and insurance companies to process the eligibility determinations.
When it comes to reimbursement through private insurance and state administered trust funds, if the work and the detailed costs are not documented in the project file and reporting, the work may as well have never been completed. Documentation is important to every claim to ensure a proper evaluation of the costs and to expedite review and ultimate compensation reimbursement. Detailed and properly prepared documentation allows a property owner and their environmental consultant to tell the full story, painting a picture of the circumstances associated with the environmental claim, and allowing regulators and insurance claim managers to make the correct decisions with ease.
The practices that Point to Point Environmental has adopted will facilitate the review and reimbursement of claims associated with environmental liabilities. Point to Point Environmental maintains thorough notes of every telephone call, applicable conversation, meeting, inspection, and all field work with the applicable dates and times. This is especially important when communicating with the applicable environmental regulatory authorities. When addressing an imminent environmental threat, decisions about the proper course of action are often agreed upon during onsite discussions and telephone conversations. While these decisions constitute official directives, it is important to properly record these decisions and to conduct follow-up confirmatory correspondence in writing. In addition to follow-up correspondences, using sound recordings to document on-site meetings can reduce potential miscommunication. Response reports from local, state and federal agencies can provide a level of corroborating documentation to document that the level of efforts employed were reasonable and necessary based on the magnitude of the circumstances.
When completing field work, copious photographs with electronic time and date stamps are collected during all phases. Digital photography is a tool that provides a backup record to field notes when site activities are hectic. Contractor and subcontractors maintain daily logs that include the names of personnel, labor categories, hours worked and tasks completed, equipment used, summary of work accomplished each day, waste disposal manifests, any applicable receipts and invoices (and proof of payment), and affidavits or witness statements.
Point to Point Environmental ensures that all project level and field staff undergo continuous training on proper documentation procedures and understand the high priority of these tasks. As an environmental assessment and response project progresses, the level of documentation must develop accordingly; complex problems require intricate records. Documentation prepared by Point to Point Environmental is clear and concise to ensure everyone can understand the intentions. In addition to being good business practices, the end goal for proper documentation is to facilitate a properly prepared reimbursement application to the state administrated trust find or insurance company, and to facilitate resolution of claims in a timely fashion.
Insurance companies and state administered Trust Funds are always exploring options to save costs and be more frugal with claims payouts. If a property owner or the responsible party for an environmental liability is determined to be non-compliant with regulations or established milestones for completion of the required work, the insurance company or state administered Trust Fund may decide to refuse future reimbursement. In order to reduce the possibility of fines and denial of reimbursement, property owners need to stay vigilant and remain proactive when completing the necessary environmental corrective action activities through to site completion.
When you trust Point to Point Environmental to conduct your environmental assessment and remediation activities, you can be assured that we are making every effort to provide the required reimbursement claim documentation. If you have experienced a past environmental issue and the reimbursement claim and documentation was not properly handled, Point to Point Environmental may be able to facilitate the reimbursement process, even after the occurrence. Please contact Point to Point Environmental at 678-565-4440 to discuss your options.