Grease Dumped
to the Sewer.
Two federal prosecutions showing that in FOG enforcement it is the hauler who is charged, not the restaurant.
We shop your septic business with carriers like
Which policy actually responds
And, just as importantly, which one does not.
Nothing, for deliberate discharge
Excluded everywhere. The mail fraud count in the Tennessee matter is worth noting separately: lying to customers about disposal is its own offence.
Pollution liability, for an accidental release
A failed hose or a spill at a restaurant is a genuine claim. A bypassed facility is not.
General liability, for property damage you cause
A grease blockage that backs up into a third party’s premises may be a covered occurrence, subject to the pollution exclusion on your form.
Your customer contracts
The Tennessee case shows how quickly misrepresenting disposal becomes fraud rather than a service dispute.
What stops it happening to you
One driver’s shortcut is the whole company’s conviction
The Miami case was a single operator making one decision to save time and fees.
Keep disposal receipts per load
They are the only thing distinguishing you from the defendant in these cases.
Do not promise a disposal method you cannot evidence
That is what converted a Clean Water Act case into a mail fraud case.
Watch the margin pressure
When disposal fees rise, dumping gets tempting. That is the moment to look at your routes, not your conscience.
Grease Trap Waste Dumped to the Sewer
What actually happened
In June 2015 a Dickson, Tennessee grease hauling company and its president pleaded guilty to collecting FOG waste from restaurants in Tennessee and Kentucky and dumping it into municipal sewers over roughly two years. The pleas covered a Clean Water Act violation, conspiracy, and false statements to EPA agents, and the company also pleaded to mail fraud for false promises to customers and municipalities about how the waste was being disposed of. Separately, in October 2010 a Miami septic and grease-trap truck operator was sentenced for bypassing the permitted disposal facility and discharging directly into the county sewer to save fees and fit in more jobs. He received three years probation, a $2,500 fine, 750 hours of community service, and was barred from pumping, hauling or discharging during probation.
Sources: US DOJ, Middle District of Tennessee
Answered by Septic Cleaning Insurance Group
We only write this trade, and we read the policy before we sell it. More on the operations we insure and the coverage behind them.
Straight answers, no insurance-speak
Excluded everywhere. The mail fraud count in the Tennessee matter is worth noting separately: lying to customers about disposal is its own offence.
Excluded everywhere. The mail fraud count in the Tennessee matter is worth noting separately: lying to customers about disposal is its own offence.
The Miami case was a single operator making one decision to save time and fees.
When disposal fees rise, dumping gets tempting. That is the moment to look at your routes, not your conscience.
That depends on your endorsements rather than your limits. Two policies with identical limits can behave completely differently on this scenario. Send your declarations including the endorsement schedule and we will tell you what we find.
Same day. Every time. That is an operating rule here, not a marketing promise.
Get Your Grease Trap Waste Dumped to the Sewer Septic Insurance Quote
A few quick questions about your operation. Takes about 2 minutes. Prefer to talk first? Call (855) 461-2010.
Would your policy answer this one?
Send us the declarations pages and the endorsements. We will tell you plainly, before we quote anything.
No pressure. If we’re not the right fit for your business, we’ll tell you straight.
Other claims septic contractors actually face
Septic contractor insurance in your state
Rules and regulators change at every state line. Pick yours.