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EHS Techniques was commissioned by one of the world’s leading insurance brokers to provide technical environmental assessment services following an environmental incident at a waste treatment facility in Spain.
The accident resulted in an accidental spill that contaminated soils, groundwater, and a nearby watercourse, affecting local livestock operations and several industrial receptors downstream.
The total damage was estimated at over two million euros, requiring a comprehensive technical evaluation to determine liability, quantify damages, and propose corrective and remediation measures.
Scope of the Study
EHS Techniques was responsible for conducting a comprehensive environmental loss assessment, covering all environmental compartments affected by the spill. Key areas of work included:
- Assessment of soil and groundwater contamination, including physical–chemical characterisation and determination of pollution levels.
- Evaluation of impacts on surface water, analysing contaminant dispersion and its effects on aquatic ecosystems and water uses.
- Valuation of third-party damages, particularly to livestock farms and industrial operations impacted by the event.
- Review of initial containment and remediation actions, assessing their effectiveness and proposing technical improvements.
- Economic estimation of direct and indirect damages, in line with insurance industry standards and European environmental legislation.
- Technical advisory support to the insurance broker throughout the assessment and negotiation process.
This scope provided a comprehensive understanding of the incident, integrating technical, environmental, and economic perspectives under a unified analytical framework.
Methodology Applied
EHS Techniques employed a multidisciplinary forensic methodology, combining fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and regulatory evaluation. The main stages included:
- Collection of initial information, including emergency reports, plant operation records, and meteorological data.
- On-site technical inspection, with sampling of soils, surface water, and groundwater in affected areas.
- Laboratory analysis to identify contaminants and determine their concentrations relative to legal thresholds.
- Contaminant transport modelling, assessing the extent and migration potential of the spill.
- Economic damage estimation, differentiating between remediation costs, production losses, and third-party compensations.
- Preparation of a detailed technical report, including findings, valuation, and environmental restoration recommendations.
The assessment was carried out in compliance with Royal Decree 2090/2008 and Law 26/2007 on Environmental Liability, ensuring a rigorous, objective, and legally sound evaluation.
Benefits of the Study
The work carried out by EHS Techniques enabled the insurance broker to:
- Obtain an independent and technically robust valuation, critical for establishing liability and determining insurance coverage.
- Reduce financial uncertainty associated with the environmental claim through precise and verifiable estimates.
- Strengthen negotiation strategies with affected parties, supported by sound technical evidence.
- Facilitate planning of environmental restoration measures, prioritising the protection of natural resources and recovery of baseline conditions.
- Enhance client confidence through transparent, professional incident management.
EHS Techniques
EHS Techniques has extensive experience in environmental damage assessment and incident appraisal, providing technical support to insurers, brokers, and industrial clients.
Our multidisciplinary team includes experts in environmental engineering, geology, toxicology, and environmental economics, ensuring comprehensive and accurate evaluations aligned with current regulations.
With a focus on transparency, precision, and sustainability, EHS Techniques is recognised as a trusted technical partner in environmental incident management, ensuring regulatory compliance and environmental protection.