This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1932. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property has housed manufacturing operations since at least the early 1930s, with the Little Hoquiam Boat Shop occupying the site from 1982 and using acetone, styrene, polyester resin, epoxy, paints, and adhesives in its boat-building operations. Cleanup activities have included the recycling and disposal of drummed hazardous waste in 1990 and EPA-mandated soil removal actions completed by 1994 that achieved MTCA cleanup levels. A Voluntary Cleanup Program project was subsequently opened for the site but terminated in 2021, and cleanup remains ongoing. 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.
Manufacturing activity at this site predates 1986 by at least five decades — Ecology conducted on-site investigations in both 1984 and 1985, documenting industrial chemical use well within the era of occurrence-based CGL policies. Those pre-1986 policies carried no effective pollution exclusion and remain enforceable against the historical carriers whose coverage was in force during the boat-building and prior manufacturing operations. The documented remediation costs — EPA-directed soil removals, hazardous-waste disposal, and a multi-year VCP engagement — represent expenditures those carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund as cleanup work continues.
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.
