This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1980. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
The Electrofinishing Company operated an electroplating facility at this Auburn property from the early 1980s through 1989, with industrial processes involving cyanide, acids, corrosives, and electroplating solutions. On-site treatment consisted of cyanide destruction and neutralization of spent electroplating solutions, but improper storage and management of solvents, acids, and other corrosives resulted in soil contamination that was identified in 1989. The site was added to Washington State's Contaminated Sites List in 1990, and 23 cubic yards of contaminated soil have been identified as requiring excavation; no active cleanup has yet commenced. 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.
Electroplating operations at this property began in the early 1980s and ran through 1989, spanning the years when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies had no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law. The contamination here — metals, cyanide, and halogenated organic compounds deposited through years of improper chemical handling — is the type of chronic industrial release that pre-1986 CGL policies were written to address. With remediation costs still ahead and 23 cubic yards of impacted soil yet to be excavated, historical carriers who issued policies during this facility's operating years may be obligated to fund the cleanup.
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
Ready to learn more?
Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
