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.
Tacoma Power's F Street Substation occupies an industrial parcel in the Tacoma Tidelands and was undergoing a facility upgrade when a geotechnical survey conducted in March 2015 confirmed soil and groundwater contamination above cleanup levels. Contaminants identified include arsenic, lead, gasoline, diesel, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The site has since been listed on Washington's contaminated sites inventory under the Standard Cleanup program; no remediation activities have commenced and the site remains in Awaiting Cleanup status. 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 profile at this substation — leaded gasoline, diesel, PAHs, arsenic, and lead — is characteristic of infrastructure that was operational well before 1986, when leaded gasoline remained in widespread use and Commercial General Liability policies were still written on an occurrence basis without effective pollution exclusions. Historical carriers who issued CGL coverage to Tacoma Power or its predecessors during that pre-1986 window may retain an obligation to fund the investigation and remediation costs the site now faces. With no cleanup work yet initiated, the full scope of those future expenditures remains 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.
