Industrial & Manufacturing cleanup site — Restorical Research
Canyon Town Center LLC
Puyallup, Pierce County
Restorical Research
Preliminary Site-Specific Analysis

This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1968. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.

This Puyallup property was formerly undeveloped through at least 1941 and then operated as part of the Frederickson Gravel Pit from circa 1968 through approximately 1995, with the parcel remaining as vacant land from 2009 onward. Cleanup activities documented under the Voluntary Cleanup Program include the excavation of 190 cubic yards of impacted soil, additional soil excavation on adjacent properties, installation of test pits and monitoring wells, and multi-year groundwater monitoring and sampling conducted from 2007 to 2016. A VCP participation was at one point withdrawn due to cost, and remediation work remains ongoing. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.

Former Use
Former Industrial & Manufacturing
AddressPuyallup, Pierce County
Historical UseIndustrial & Manufacturing
Est. Operating Since1968
StatusCleanup Started
Contamination & Investigation
Site Assessment Summary
ContaminantsSoil and groundwater contamination from historical gravel pit operations; specific compounds not identified in available Milo data
Media ImpactedSoil, Groundwater, Air
Regulatory ProgramMTCA — Voluntary Cleanup Program
Ecology Site #17057

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.

Gravel pit operations at this site commenced roughly two decades before 1986, placing the contamination origin squarely within the window when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation record — soil excavation, groundwater monitoring spanning nearly a decade, and VCP engagement that lapsed under financial pressure — represents costs tied directly to those historical extraction operations. Historical carriers whose policies were in force during the Frederickson Gravel Pit's operating years may be obligated both to recover past expenditures and to fund remediation still underway.

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

Task 1 — Research and Analysis
Restorical searches for viable historical insurance policies, researches the site history, analyzes the contamination impacts, and underwrites potential coverage — including a proprietary trigger analysis. At the end of Task 1, we provide a clear yes or no on whether a successful cost recovery is possible, along with a strategy and recommendation specific to your situation, even if you are not the policyholder.
Task 2 — Coverage and Funding
When Task 1 confirms viable coverage, Restorical works with your legal counsel to tender the claim, negotiate and secure insurance coverage. Restorical will manage the ongoing claim process, including accounting to ensure the insurance companies are funding your remediation in a timely manner.

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This analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.