This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1900. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This property was the site of the Taylor-Youngs Shingle Mill, which operated from the early twentieth century through the 1920s, with an associated filling station documented on the property as of 1928. Soil sampling conducted in 2007 confirmed significant contamination attributable to those historical operations, including lead at concentrations up to 510 mg/kg alongside diesel, oil, Bunker C, lubricating oil, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Contamination has been identified and future investigations are required before any remedial action can commence. 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 lead, petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy fuel oils, and PAHs found at this property are directly traceable to shingle mill operations and a filling station that ceased activity more than six decades before 1986. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to operators during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law and remain enforceable today. As the site advances toward formal remedial investigation and eventual cleanup, the historical carriers who insured the Taylor-Youngs Shingle Mill and its associated filling station may bear an obligation to fund those remediation costs.
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
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.
