This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1907. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
The uplands portion of this Anacortes property housed a planing and wood shingle mill from 1907 to at least 1956, and the western portion served as log storage tied to contiguous pulp and paper mill operations to the north. Site grading and development occurred in 1974–1975, construction in 1985, and a barge channel was dredged in approximately 1975. An initial investigation — ten test pits for soil sampling and characterization, with proper disposal of investigation-derived waste — has been completed under the Standard Cleanup program; no active remediation has yet commenced. 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.
Ecology attributes the contamination at this property to historical industrial activities that began in 1907 and continued through multiple operational phases extending to at least 1985. Occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies issued to the operators of the shingle mill, log storage, and dock-area development during that long pre-1986 window had no effective pollution exclusion and remain enforceable today. The remediation costs still ahead — a full feasibility study, cleanup design, and active remediation — are exactly the type of prospective expenditure historical carriers may be obligated to fund.
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.
