This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1890. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This approximately 260-acre industrial property in South Tacoma has been in continuous industrial use since the late 1800s. The South Tacoma Car Shops operated as a manufacturing and repair facility from 1892 until 1974, and foundry facilities — including iron and brass operations — ran onsite from 1890 through 1980. The site was listed on the National Priorities List in 1981/1983 and has undergone remedial investigation, underground storage tank excavations, dry well plugging, and ongoing groundwater monitoring. Cleanup is complete with active operations and maintenance continuing. 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 property — manufacturing, foundry work, fuel storage — generated contamination including PAHs, VOCs, and metals over nearly a century of activity predating 1986. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to operators during those decades carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington and remain enforceable today. The scale of documented remediation across a 260-acre site — tank removals, well abandonment, long-term groundwater monitoring, and ongoing operations and maintenance — represents substantial expenditures that historical carriers who covered these operations may be obligated to fund.
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.