This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property served as the Clover Park School District's automotive maintenance center, with a fuel island and underground storage infrastructure in place by the 1970s and four USTs — totaling 40,000 gallons of capacity — installed around 1978 to store diesel fuel and leaded gasoline. The district operated the facility until approximately 2000. Cleanup work conducted between 2003 and 2007 under the Voluntary Cleanup Program included removal of the four tanks, excavation of approximately 90 cubic yards and 135 tons of diesel-contaminated soil, removal of dry wells, a wash water catch basin, and inground hydraulic hoists, regrading of parking lots, and decommissioning of a bus wash water treatment system. 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 contamination here traces directly to fuel island operations and tank installations the Clover Park School District put in place in the late 1970s — carriers that issued occurrence-based CGL policies to the district during that pre-1986 operational window may be obligated to contribute to the documented costs already incurred in the 2003–2007 cleanup. Because the Voluntary Cleanup Program at this site remains open, those same historical carriers may also bear responsibility for funding any additional investigation or remediation that lies 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.
