Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Co. v. Belleville Industries, Inc., Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Co. v. Belleville Industries, Inc.

COFFIN, Senior Circuit Judge.

The question we decide on this appeal is whether a company’s general liability insurance policy, which excludes coverage for property damage caused by pollution, nevertheless provides coverage in this particular case under the policy’s exception for “sudden and accidental” polluting events. Throughout the four-year period in which the relevant policies were in effect, the insured’s manufacturing operations involved continuing pollution-releasing activity. The alleged “sudden and accidental” events occurred on two days during this period, one in 1973 and the other…