This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1954. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This fueling area at Fairchild Air Force Base was built around six underground storage tanks — totaling 275,000 gallons of capacity for JP-8 and JP-4 jet fuel — installed in 1954. Two significant pre-1986 releases are documented: a tank leak of approximately 120 gallons of JP-4 at Pit 18 in 1984, and a 5,000-gallon fuel spill on the taxiway in 1985. Cleanup has included removal of all six USTs, multiple oil-water separators, and over 300 tons of contaminated soil; ongoing work consists of free product recovery, long-term groundwater monitoring, and monitored natural attenuation coupled with Land Use Controls, with a projected 30-year timeline and an estimated cost of $4,228,000. 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 jet fuel contamination at this site traces directly to bulk storage tanks installed and operated beginning in 1954 — more than three decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The two documented pre-1986 release events in 1984 and 1985 each constitute occurrences within the coverage window of those historical policies. The site's remediation trail — UST and oil-water separator removals, large-scale soil excavation, and a projected 30-year monitored natural attenuation program estimated at over $4.2 million — represents expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.
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.
