This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1949. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property served as a Pierce County public works facility beginning in 1949, housing a repair shop, paint shop, engineering laboratory, and chemical storage building. Two underground storage tanks — a 6,000-gallon gasoline UST and a 1,500-gallon waste oil UST — were installed during that era and operated through the mid-1980s. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program has included removal of the 6,000-gallon UST, excavation of 496 tons of contaminated soil, and installation of engineered controls — new buildings and pavement placed in 2007 to cap less-contaminated areas. Long-term groundwater monitoring and proposed environmental covenants remain 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.
Petroleum contamination at this site traces directly to county vehicle-maintenance and fueling operations that began in 1949 — nearly four decades before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. The remediation expenditures already incurred here — tank removal, large-scale soil excavation, engineered capping, and years of groundwater monitoring — along with the institutional controls still being implemented, represent costs that historical carriers who covered the county's operations during that pre-1986 window may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund going forward.
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.
