This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1969. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
This Redmond property was occupied by a Fort James Operating Company facility from approximately 1969 until 2000, during which time it manufactured folding cartons — primarily for the food and beverage industry — for over three decades. Contamination originated from a former dry well and drain lines connected to floor drains in a chemical storage room, releasing petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated and non-chlorinated solvents into soil and groundwater. In 2001, approximately 3,165 tons of contaminated soil were excavated and disposed of off-site; groundwater was then managed through natural attenuation and monitored continuously from 2002 through 2019 to confirm vinyl chloride reduction targets were met. A No Further Action determination has been issued, though an institutional control prohibiting water well installation remains in place. 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 at this site originated from chemical storage and drainage infrastructure that was in operation from 1969 onward — more than fifteen years before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation trail — removal of over 3,100 tons of impacted soil and seventeen years of groundwater monitoring to address chlorinated-solvent and petroleum-hydrocarbon releases — reflects cleanup expenditures tied directly to those pre-1986 industrial operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Fort James Operating Company during that window may be obligated to fund recovery of those costs.
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.
