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.
This Anacortes property operated as a lumber and plywood milling facility from approximately 1900 until a fire in 1992, accumulating over nine decades of industrial activity that generated wood waste and chemical contaminants in soil, groundwater, and sediment. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program has proceeded in three phases: Phase I (2011) excavated 25,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and wood waste from the upland portion, with demolition and wetland mitigation; Phase II (2013) addressed in-water demolition, dredging, and shoreline and habitat restoration; and Phase III (planned 2019–2021) includes dredging 1,500 cubic yards of subtidal sediment, thin-layer capping across 10.5 acres, eelgrass transplantation, and ongoing monitoring and institutional controls. Cleanup work is ongoing. 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.
Milling operations at this site began around 1900 and ran for nearly a century — spanning the entire era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The contamination now driving multi-phase remediation across upland, wetland, and subtidal areas is a direct product of those pre-1986 industrial operations. Historical carriers whose policies were in force during that operational window may be obligated both to recover documented remediation expenditures and to fund the continuing cleanup costs that remain 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
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.
