This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1928. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
This Yakima machine shop has operated continuously at its present location since 1928, generating metal shavings, spent Stoddard solvent, and empty paint and lacquer containers in the course of its industrial operations. Ecology's review found no documented actual or potential releases of hazardous substances at the site, and no cleanup or remediation activities were required or performed. The site was placed in No Further Action status on that basis. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
Why Historical Insurance Policies May Be Accessible
Pre-1986 Commercial General Liability (CGL) policies were occurrence-based and did not contain an effective pollution exclusion in Washington. If contamination occurred while those policies were active, those historical insurance carriers may still have a legal obligation to fund the cleanup costs, even if the business closed or the property changed hands.
Mcilvanie Machine Works has handled Stoddard solvent and industrial solvents throughout a nearly century-long operating history — spanning multiple decades during which occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Although no releases have been documented under current regulatory review, the historical CGL policies in effect during the site's pre-1986 operational decades remain part of its insurance record. Should a contamination claim arise from the site's long history of solvent handling, those pre-1986 policies represent the coverage layer most likely to respond.
Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.
Recovering Costs from an Older Cleanup
If this site reached No Further Action years ago, the original cleanup expenditures may be difficult to reconstruct. Restorical's forensic accounting team specializes in re-establishing and documenting past cleanup costs — even decades later — to build the strongest possible basis for an insurance recovery claim.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
