This property has a documented history as a landfill predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
At the Pettersson Property in Monroe, a 15-by-15-by-10-foot excavated area contains buried solid waste deposited by a previous tenant, including bulky goods, automotive-related waste, garbage, and furniture. As of documents dated August 2007 and again in 2012, no cleanup or remediation activities had been undertaken at the site, with the property owner reportedly having declined further involvement in addressing the contamination. The site is enrolled in Washington Ecology's Standard Cleanup program and remains at the awaiting-cleanup stage with no active remediation underway. 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 solid waste and automotive-related materials at this property were buried by a previous tenant at some point before the current owner acquired the site in 1999. If that disposal activity predates 1986, occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies held by the responsible tenant during that operational window may still be enforceable to fund the investigation and remediation costs the site now requires. Because no cleanup work has occurred to date, the full remediation expenditure lies ahead — making any viable historical insurance recovery especially consequential for the property owner facing those future costs.
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.
