This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1915. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property has operated as a shipyard since 1915, with activities including dry docks, marine railways, paint shops, and sandblast operations carried out by various operators across more than a century of continuous industrial use. Completed remediation includes removal of a 100,000-gallon above-ground storage tank, dredging of 25,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in 1982, and excavation of petroleum-contaminated soil in 1993. Cleanup work is ongoing, with future plans calling for dredging of an additional estimated 19,300 cubic yards of sediment, capping, stormwater management, and long-term groundwater and sediment monitoring. 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.
Contamination at this property traces to shipyard operations — above-ground fuel storage, paint application, sandblasting, and heavy marine-industrial activity — conducted for decades before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Remediation costs already documented include the removal of the Union Oil AST, the 1982 dredge of 25,000 cubic yards of sediment, and the 1993 soil excavation — expenditures the historical carriers may be obligated to recover. With a major dredging campaign, capping, and long-term monitoring still ahead, the liability exposure here remains open and substantial.
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.
