This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1974. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This property has housed wood products manufacturing operations since 1974, when it was first commercially developed, with subsequent occupants including Persco Company through the 1970s and 1980s, Greco Manufacturing as a lumber yard and millwork operation, and Cascade Millwork & Supply from 2007 to the present. Operations have involved wood cutting, painting with lacquer and lacquer thinner, and the on-site storage of solvents and waste oils — approximately 100 gallons of lacquer, lacquer thinner, and miscellaneous paint were confirmed in the building. Contamination concerns have been attributed to long-term storage of compromised drums and a suspect underground structure; 23 drums were assessed and disposed of in 2009–2010, and in 2017 additional drums were removed and an on-site septic tank was pumped. No active cleanup work has commenced. 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.
Industrial operations at this property began in 1974 and ran continuously through the 1980s under Persco Company and Greco Manufacturing — operators who would have carried occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies before the 1986 pollution exclusion effectively closed off coverage for contamination claims. The solvent and waste-oil storage and painting operations documented here represent exactly the type of gradual, long-term releases those pre-1986 policies were written to address. With investigation and remediation still ahead, the costs the property owner now faces could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose policies were in force during the property's earliest operating decades.
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
Ready to learn more?
Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
