While economy-related slowdowns in construction and merger-and-acquisition activity have adversely affected writers of environmental liability coverage in the short term, growth opportunities for the line are continuing to emerge--including the need to cover exposures created by new technologies, as well as initiatives in the "green" movement, those active in this market segment contend.

Those looking at the glass as half-empty cite the impact of a struggling economy and tight credit market on environmental liability insurance sales.

Indeed, questions about the financial certainty of some carriers in the marketplace are even being raised, according to Gregory E. Schilz, a managing director of Aon's Environmental Group. He noted that with many environmental liability policies written on five-to-10-year terms, some buyers have begun to question the long-term financial stability of carriers in this time of economic uncertainty.