How do New Jersey Construction Practices Affect Pollution?
For over 40 years now, the state of New Jersey has been struggling to clean up its rivers, lakes and streams as required by the Clean Water Act that was implemented at that time. Pollution in New Jersey’s waters come from a wide range of sources; from nitrogen in a local stream to the dioxin-laden sediment at the bottom of the Passaic River, which is actually among the most toxic waters in America.
Construction activities such as the use and release of diesel and oil, paint, solvents, cleaners, and other dangerous chemicals certainly can contribute to this water pollution. Pollutants on construction sites could also soak into the groundwater, which of course is a source of human drinking water.
With the primary focus of pollution cleanup being on the waterways of New Jersey, air pollution concerns could fall to the wayside. It’s imperative, however, that construction firms be aware of the air pollution their practices could be causing. There are a variety of construction activities that contribute to air pollution; land clearing, operation of diesel engines resulting in the release of carbon monoxide and other toxic gases, demolition, burning, and working with toxic materials.
In addition, construction sites generate high levels in dust resulting from concrete, cement, wood, stone, silica, etc. Construction dust is classified as “PM10,” which is particulate matter that is less than 10 microns in diameter; invisible to the naked eye. PM10 substances have been known to penetrate deeply into people’s lungs and cause health issues such as respiratory illness, asthma, bronchitis, and even cancer.
One last type of pollution caused by construction activities is noise pollution; naturally construction sites produce a lot of noise, mostly from vehicles, heavy equipment, and machinery, but also from people shouting and radios turned up loudly.
In our next post, we will look at a few solutions that could serve as preventive measures for Construction Pollution Liability. No matter what preventative measures you take, however, a NJ Construction Pollution Liability Insurance policy from Provident Protection Plus Insurance Agency protects your business from expensive losses if it is accused of or found responsible for pollution-related damage, injuries or illness. This coverage is available to a variety of industry segments. Please contact us today for more information at (888) 990-0526.