This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1970. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
This property served as Chelan County PUD's Fleet Services Facility, where underground storage tanks installed in 1970 fueled the district's service vehicles. Contamination was discovered in 1990, prompting multiple phases of excavation and UST removal through 1993 — including the removal of three single-wall steel tanks and approximately 3,350 cubic yards of contaminated soil, which was transported for landfarm treatment. Extensive groundwater monitoring accompanied the cleanup, and the site has since received a No Further Action determination. 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 facility originated from underground storage tanks that were installed in 1970 and operated for decades under occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation expenditures — tank removals, large-scale soil excavation, off-site treatment, and years of groundwater monitoring — represent cleanup costs tied directly to releases from those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who provided CGL coverage to the PUD during the 1970s and early 1980s may still be obligated to reimburse those costs.
Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.
Recovering Costs from an Older Cleanup
If this site reached No Further Action years ago, the original cleanup expenditures may be difficult to reconstruct. Restorical's forensic accounting team specializes in re-establishing and documenting past cleanup costs — even decades later — to build the strongest possible basis for an insurance recovery claim.
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.