Environmental Liability for Healthcare

Protection for the every day, and extraordinary

The transformation of the healthcare industry over the last few years has presented significant business and environmental challenges and risks.

Advances in research and medical technology, industry consolidation, reductions in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements precipitating expense reductions, and increased costs of patient care, all contribute to new and increased environmental risks for hospitals, clinics, outpatient facilities, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.

An age of internet and media amplification of notable exposures such as indoor air quality, mold, legionella, medical, biological, and infectious waste presents reputational loss challenges. Day-to-day facility operations and maintenance, however, can also pose significant risks.

From mishandled medical waste to noxious fumes stemming from inadvertently mixed cleaning agents, simple maintenance activities can present significant risks, including bodily injury claims, legal expenses, and costly remediation activities.

Environmental due diligence for healthcare companies must span the entire business, including:

• Historical operational risks
• Inadvertent disposal and incineration of waste streams
• Air emissions from ventilation systems
• Inadvertent or inadequate treatment of carcinogenic, pathogenic, and infectious wastewater discharge into municipal waste streams
• Handling of low-level nuclear equipment and waste
• Lead and asbestos abatement activities
• Electrical transformers containing PCB
• Generators and associated under and aboveground storage tanks