This property has a documented history as a farm and agricultural operation predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
The Former Monson Feedlot operated as an agricultural facility with an underground storage tank used to fuel farm equipment; the tank was abandoned in-place and remained unknown to the current property owner until 2015, when inspection revealed extensive corrosion, pitting, and numerous holes across its sides and base — physical evidence of a long history of petroleum discharge. Between 2017 and 2023, cleanup activities included removal of the 1,000-gallon UST and surrounding concrete pavement, excavation of approximately 593 cubic yards of petroleum-contaminated soil, pumping of groundwater from the tank and trench, bioremediation of stockpiled soil by tilling, and backfilling, with documented expenditures exceeding $211,000. The site remains in Awaiting Cleanup status, indicating that additional remediation may yet be required. 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 former feedlot originated from an underground storage tank whose extensive corrosion and structural deterioration indicate installation and active use well before modern UST regulations took effect after 1986. Occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies issued to feedlot operators during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion and remain enforceable today. The more than $211,000 in documented remediation costs already incurred — together with any future cleanup expenditures the site's Awaiting Cleanup status portends — represent amounts that historical carriers whose policies were in force during the tank's operational years may be obligated to fund.
Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful coverage claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage. Restorical then manages the claim, including accounting, to ensure the cleanup is funded in a timely manner.
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.
