This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1982. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
This property at King County Airport operated as an aircraft hangar for light aircraft storage for approximately 15 years prior to 1997, with petroleum hydrocarbon contamination consistent with weathered jet fuel discovered during demolition activities in 1996. Remediation under the Voluntary Cleanup Program included excavation of 1,300 cubic yards of TPH-impacted soil, stabilization of contaminated material with cement used as structural backfill and capping beneath the building and pavement, installation of a passive ventilation system, and treatment of purge water from groundwater investigation. Cleanup activities spanned from at least 1996 to 2001, and the site has 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 property traces to aircraft hangar operations that began as early as 1982 — prior to 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Carriers who issued CGL coverage during that pre-1986 operational window may still bear obligation to fund the documented remediation costs: soil excavation and stabilization, passive ventilation infrastructure, groundwater investigation, and multi-year monitoring. Even with cleanup now complete, the cost trail tied to those pre-1986 hangar operations represents a recoverable claim against historical carriers.
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.
