This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1967. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
This property has operated as a Federated Logistics and Operations furniture warehouse and distribution facility, with a 10,000-gallon diesel underground storage tank installed in 1967 to support refueling of company trucks and equipment. Petroleum contamination was discovered during UST decommissioning activities in 1992, prompting cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program that included excavation of approximately 40 cubic yards of impacted soil, groundwater monitoring well installation and sampling, and natural degradation of affected groundwater. The site received a No Further Action determination in 2001. 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 diesel contamination at this property originated from an underground storage tank installed in 1967 — nearly two decades before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The cleanup costs incurred here, from soil excavation through years of groundwater monitoring, trace directly to releases from that pre-1986 UST operation. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the tank's operational window may still be obligated to recover those documented remediation expenditures.
Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.
Recovering Costs from an Older Cleanup
If this site reached No Further Action years ago, the original cleanup expenditures may be difficult to reconstruct. Restorical's forensic accounting team specializes in re-establishing and documenting past cleanup costs — even decades later — to build the strongest possible basis for an insurance recovery claim.
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.
