This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1900. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
The Camas Property in Tacoma operated as a roofing felt manufacturing factory from the early 1900s through the mid-twentieth century, with production centered on crude oil, asphalt, and tar used to impregnate felt — stills, boilers, crude oil storage tanks, and tar barrels were all on-site infrastructure. Gasoline storage at the property dates to at least 1926, and an underground heating oil tank was removed or abandoned in the early to mid-1980s. Past industrial practices released crude oils, heavy petroleum, and coal tar or creosote into the soil and groundwater; remedial alternatives now under evaluation include soil vapor extraction and oxygen-releasing compound injection, with a multi-year feasibility study currently underway. 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 roofing felt manufacturing operations at this Tacoma property ran from the early 1900s through the mid-twentieth century — a multi-generational industrial run in which crude oil was stored and processed on-site as far back as 1926. CGL policies covering those roofing felt operators across that long pre-1986 span are the carriers most plausibly obligated to address the petroleum and coal tar contamination now driving remedial investigation and feasibility study costs. The documented and anticipated remediation expenditures — the heating oil tank removal, ongoing assessment work, and the SVE and ORC treatment yet to begin — all trace to releases that occurred while those historical policies were in force.
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.
