This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1973. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property operated as an industrial manufacturing facility from at least 1973, first as a bed-springs manufacturer and subsequently as the Steam Supply and Rubber Company through 1997. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program included excavation of 319 tons of petroleum-impacted soil in 2000, followed by quarterly groundwater monitoring from mid-2002 through early 2003. A restrictive covenant was recorded in 2003 to manage residual TPH contamination remaining in soil and to prohibit groundwater extraction from the property — obligations that remain in effect today. 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.
Industrial operations at this site spanned from 1973 through 1997, covering the entire pre-1986 window when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The soil excavation, groundwater monitoring, and active covenant compliance documented here represent both costs already incurred and obligations still running against the property — all traceable to contamination that originated during those manufacturing decades. Historical carriers whose CGL policies covered the site before 1986 may be obligated to recover past remediation expenditures and to fund the site's remaining cleanup obligations, including the land-use restrictions that govern it today.
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.
