This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1927. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This Seattle property operated as the Bird-Johnson Propeller Plant for approximately 63 years before closing around 1990, with the original facility structure dating to around 1914. Manufacturing operations — casting, grinding, machining, and welding of metal propellers ranging from 3 to 12 feet in diameter — generated contamination from PCB-containing capacitors, an underground diesel fuel tank, and chlorinated solvents. Cleanup activities from 1989 through at least 1996 included excavation of approximately 2,844 cubic yards of PCB- and petroleum-contaminated soil, removal of a 1,000-gallon diesel underground storage tank, monitoring well installation and abandonment, and ongoing quarterly groundwater monitoring. 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 contamination at this property — PCBs, chlorinated solvents, and petroleum hydrocarbons — originated from industrial manufacturing processes that operated for decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry norm and carried no effective pollution exclusion. A former plant manager worked on-site from 1943 through 1989, establishing a documented period of operations squarely within the coverage window for those historical policies. The documented remediation costs here — thousands of cubic yards of contaminated soil excavated, UST removal, monitoring well programs, and long-term groundwater surveillance — represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.
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.
