This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This property has served as an electrical substation for decades, historically supporting the former Alcoa Aluminum plant in Vancouver. Electrical equipment at the site used polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and contamination was discovered in 1990. Remediation in the early 1990s included multiple soil excavations removing at least 250 tons of PCB-contaminated material and reconstruction of Capacitor Group #4 to eliminate PCB-containing capacitors. Current interim measures — partial capping of remaining contaminated soils with gravel and security fencing — are in place while full cleanup remains pending. 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.
PCBs were in active use in the electrical equipment at this substation well before their U.S. manufacturing ban took effect in 1979, meaning the contamination source predates 1986 by decades. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the operators during that window had no effective pollution exclusion in Washington and remain enforceable today. The remediation costs still ahead for this site — full soil cleanup, long-term oversight, and potential additional excavation — represent expenditures that historical carriers whose policies covered operations during those pre-1986 years 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.
