Chemical Spills

Chemical spills, releases of petroleum and other hazardous materials are not always confined to normal business hours. Further, the steps undertaken for the first two hours are critical, both from a liability and remedial cost perspective. There are many steps that must be taken immediately in order to minimize potential liability when a spill occurs.

While the first step is to stop the spill and begin the cleanup stage, it is also important to recognize the items that will impact penalties, fines, and other liabilities. The attorneys in the Hancock Estabrook 24/7 Accident Response Team, who reside in our Environmental Practice and Litigation Practice, have a significant level of experience managing our clients’ legal responsibilities resulting from hazardous material spills.

Not all spills require legal notification, so an immediate legal analysis is required. When that analysis results in the need to contact certain regulatory agencies of the spill, immediate action must be taken in order to compile and provide the necessary information.  Our attorneys work closely with our client to direct them through these time-critical steps, including:

• Making any required legal notifications. 
• Gather the necessary information for the notification and avoiding the dissemination of incorrect or extraneous information.
• Assess other potentially responsible parties (PRPs) for the incident and determine responsibility to conduct immediate response actions.
• Identify spill responders with the capability to assess, stop, and remediate the release.
• Conduct any necessary investigative work before any remedial activities are undertaken.
• Notify appropriate insurance carriers.
• Conduct interviews to assist in managing the liability, as soon as practicable. 

Governmental Relations Assistance

Those involved with a spill should be aware that initial contact with a governmental authority can impact all further steps and requirements necessary to resolve the issue. Our clients routinely rely upon us to assist in that governmental interaction. We partner with our clients, working with them to develop an appropriate program for assessing liability, minimizing penalties and expenses, while assisting them in coordinating the undertaking of any necessary remedial measures to address the problem.

Please contact any of the Hancock Estabrook 24/7 Attorney Response Team members listed on this page to answer your questions, assist you in the event of a spill or release of hazardous material, or to refer you to reliable investigators and experts.

PLEASE CALL (315) 565-4597 IF YOU NEED TO SPEAK WITH AN ATTORNEY IMMEDIATELY ABOUT A CHEMICAL SPILL-RELATED SITUATION.