Today’s volumes of pesticides, fuel and manure combined with the ever-increasing environment regulations and sensitivity to these issues makes this an important consideration. A hazardous materials cleanup crew, the long tail of environmental monitoring and environmental fines can really add up. Legal Liability coverage is readily available for little to no extra cost for sudden and accidental losses. This is for when you are being sued by another party for pollutants that damage property of others. However, fines and the costs related to cleaning up spills that affect only your property is not covered on the typical farm policy. On-Site pollutants coverage is less common of a coverage to purchase.
The best way to avoid problems is to have a good understanding of your insurance policy.
Here are some questions that you could ask your insurance broker:
* What is the extent of coverage for pollutants cleanup?
* How much cleanup coverage do I have?
* Am I covered for spills from off-the-farm transportation accidents?
* What is required of me if there is a chemical, fuel or manure spill?
* Are there any actions I might take that would void coverage on my policy?
There are insurance policies that do not cover any pollutants losses at all. Is yours one of them? Be sure to seek advice and purchase insurance from those who understand your business!