This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1982. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This property operated as a transmission repair facility and private-fleet fueling station, with underground storage tanks installed around 1982 dispensing petroleum to trucking operations and chlorinated solvents used for parts degreasing. Cleanup activities have included removal of two USTs, excavation of approximately 230 cubic yards of contaminated soil, and recovery of 3,000 gallons of contaminated groundwater, with excavated material placed into on-site landfarming using aeration and bioaugmentation. Monitoring wells have been installed for ongoing groundwater assessment, and the site remains in the Standard Cleanup program awaiting further remediation. 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 contamination here originates from USTs installed around 1982 and from chlorinated-solvent degreasing operations — both activities conducted under occurrence-based CGL policies that were the commercial standard before 1986. Lead detected in soil samples collected during the 1994 UST removal directly ties the release to leaded-gasoline-era operations, confirming the contamination predates the 1986 threshold. With active remediation still ahead, historical carriers who issued CGL policies during those pre-1986 operations may be obligated to fund the cleanup costs yet to come.
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.
