This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1930. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
This property in Raymond operated as a bulk fuel plant from the 1930s onward, storing and distributing petroleum products through a tank farm of two 20,000-gallon and two 12,000-gallon above-ground steel storage tanks, loading racks, a pumping station, and a drum storage area. Contamination from those operations was identified in 1997, and a Voluntary Cleanup Program project initiated in 2007 led to the excavation and removal of 12.8 tons of petroleum-impacted soil in 2010, followed by quarterly groundwater monitoring from 2010 through 2014. The site has received a No Further Action determination. 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.
The petroleum contamination at this bulk plant originated from storage and distribution operations that began in the 1930s — meaning roughly five decades of commercial fuel handling preceded 1986. Any CGL policies issued to the successive operators of this facility during that long operational window would have covered the petroleum releases that ultimately required cleanup. The documented remediation expenditures — soil excavation, monitoring-well installation, and four years of quarterly groundwater sampling — represent costs those historical carriers may be obligated to reimburse.
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.
