This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1933. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
This property has served as an industrial logging operation since at least 1933, first as a Civilian Conservation Corps logging camp, then as the Morrison Logging Camp from 1950 to 1971, and subsequently as a Fred Moe Logging log sorting yard beginning in 1975. Petroleum spills from bulk storage tanks and fueling operations were documented in 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979. Cleanup under the Standard Cleanup program included removal of underground and above-ground storage tanks, excavation of contaminated soil, bioremediation of soil in bermed cells using lime and Spillcat, and removal of structures including sheds and concrete pads. The site has received a No Further Action determination. 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.
Petroleum contamination at this property originated from fueling and equipment-maintenance operations that span decades before 1986 — bulk storage tanks likely installed in the early 1960s, with documented spills throughout the late 1970s. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the operators during that window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law. The full scope of remediation costs incurred here — tank removals, soil excavation, bioremediation, and structural demolition — represents expenditures that historical carriers who covered these logging operations may still be obligated to reimburse.
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
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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.
