This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1930. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
The McKee Radiator Service operated as a radiator repair shop at this Chehalis property from the 1930s, with lead and cadmium contamination traced directly to historical radiator soldering practices, old drain lines, and lead dust accumulated in the concrete floor over decades of operation. Remediation under the Voluntary Cleanup Program ran from 2006 through 2008, encompassing multiple excavation phases — concrete floor removal, trench re-excavation, and off-site soil disposal — along with the proper disposal of approximately 55 gallons of contaminated rainwater and repair of a leaking roof to eliminate the ongoing contamination pathway. The site has since received a No Further Action determination. 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 and cadmium contamination here originated from radiator repair practices that date to the 1930s, placing the contamination origin squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Decades of documented remediation expenditures — multi-phase excavation, concrete removal, contaminated-water disposal, and structural repair — represent cleanup costs tied to releases that accumulated throughout that pre-1986 policy window. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the operators of this radiator shop during those decades may still be obligated to recover a portion of those costs.
Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.
Recovering Costs from an Older Cleanup
If this site reached No Further Action years ago, the original cleanup expenditures may be difficult to reconstruct. Restorical's forensic accounting team specializes in re-establishing and documenting past cleanup costs — even decades later — to build the strongest possible basis for an insurance recovery claim.
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.
