Ask the Agent: What You Need to Know About Agricultural Pollution Coverage

We recently launched our new Ag Pollution Liability Coverage and our agents have been out talking to client/members about the benefits of our industry-leading coverage. Agricultural pollution protection is just as essential as any operational policy coverage , and we want to make sure you understand why you need it. We sat down to discuss some of the most frequent questions our agents hear.

1. What Is Ag Pollution Coverage?

Ag pollution is a type of farm or ranch liability coverage, meaning it protects you from bodily injury claims or accidental property damage claims that are caused by you or your operation. Ag pollution coverage protects you and helps pay for pollution incidents that are covered by the endorsement.

2. What Kind of Ag Pollution Does It Cover?

Our coverage endorsement is divided into five sections of coverage for bodily injury or property coverage. Sections I and II are automatically included in every farm/ranch policy. Sections III-V are optional coverages that can be added.

I. Non-Auto Transportation and Storage Coverage

This coverage is for non-auto transportation and on-premise storage accidents.

II. Chemical Application Coverage

Coverage for damage to other people’s crops caused by the drift of chemicals while you are spraying your crops.

III. Custom Application for Others Coverage

If you spray crops for others for a fee, this coverage is for the crops you are spraying and any associated drift.

IV. Animal Waste Coverage

This coverage applies when you are utilizing animal waste in your own operation.  It does not cover animal waste applications for others for a fee.

V. Pollution Cleanup Coverage

Allows a separate amount of coverage for cleanup so the limits you selected for the other 4 sections are available to pay for damages.

3. How Much Coverage Can I Get and What’s the Deductible?

Each section has its own separate limit. There are several limits available and several deductibles for you to choose from. We even have the option to choose a zero-dollar deductible.

4. Do I Need to Add Pollution Cleanup Separately?

Section V is for pollution cleanup, but all sections would include cleanup. We added this option for you to have a separate dedicated amount just for cleanup of a covered pollution incident. This separate coverage allows the limits on your other sections to be used solely for the bodily injury or property damage resulting from a pollution incident that is covered by the endorsement.

5. Can It Pay for Help to Prevent More Damage?

Yes! We’ve added an additional coverage that includes up to $25,000 in a 12-month period to take emergency measures to contain an incident and prevent further damage. This is  an automatic coverage in our endorsement.

Agricultural pollution coverage can seem confusing and overwhelming. Our agents are here to help walk you through your farm coverage and help assess your risk. If you have any questions or would like to add additional sections to your coverage, reach out to your Farm Bureau agent.