Genuine environmental insurance needs to have an insuring agreement that provides specific coverage for losses arising from the release or escape of pollutants. At a minimum, the insurance coverage will apply to losses arising from:
- Bodily injury (mirrors and sometimes enhances the definition used in the general liability (GL) policy)
 - Property damage (mirrors and sometimes enhances the definition used in the GL policy)
 - Cleanup expenses (usually as required by environmental laws with available enhancements by class of business)
 - Defenses costs (traditionally included within the limit of liability)
 
Common optional coverages include:
- Non-owned waste disposal sites
 - Transportation of pollutants as cargo
 - Business interruption
 - Loss of rents
 - Extra expense
 - Reputational damage
 - Midnight dumping on insured locations
 - Coverage for fungi/bacteria as defined pollutants
 - Amended definitions of cleanup costs for contaminants that are not regulated as hazardous materials (fungi/bacteria)
 - Reputational damages