This property has a documented history as a landfill predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
The Larkin Properties site in Anacortes, Skagit County was used for improper waste disposal by a prior owner, who admitted to dumping oil directly on the ground; garbage and petroleum dumping are documented as the practices responsible for the site's contamination. An independent cleanup action — likely involving excavation — was reported as complete in a 2011 investigation report, but a 2015 Department of Ecology letter concluded that further investigation and cleanup remained necessary, and the site was added to Washington's list of contaminated sites. Remediation work is still outstanding. 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 petroleum and waste dumping at this property are explicitly attributed to past ownership and historical practices — a contamination origin tied to an era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. Lead and petroleum gasoline contamination at the site is consistent with fuel-handling practices that predated 1986. The investigation and remediation costs now pending at Larkin Properties could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force when that contamination was first introduced to the ground.
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.
