This property has a documented history as a landfill going back to 1940. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
The Former Buckley Landfill operated from the 1940s through 1974, accepting residential wastes, white goods, and dead animals from the town of Buckley and surrounding Pierce County communities. In May 1971, approximately 14,000 pounds of pesticides discovered at the site were removed and disposed of as part of a documented cleanup activity. The site currently awaits further cleanup under Washington State's Standard Cleanup program. 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.
Landfill operations at this property ran for more than three decades entirely within the era of occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies, which carried no effective pollution exclusion and remain enforceable today. The pesticides found and partially removed in 1971 originated from waste deposited during those pre-1986 operating years, and contamination from decades of mixed municipal waste acceptance may extend well beyond what that early removal addressed. Historical carriers who issued CGL coverage to the operators or municipal entities responsible for this site during its active years may be obligated to fund the cleanup costs that now lie ahead.
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.
