This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This municipal property served as the Miller & Central Sewer-Lift Station, part of the City of Olympia's sanitary sewer system, with a 550-gallon underground storage tank supplying diesel fuel to an emergency generator. In March 1999 the UST was removed, cleaned, and recycled, and approximately 53 cubic yards of contaminated soil were excavated from the original tank installation. The site requires further investigation and remediation, and cleanup work remains ongoing under the Standard Cleanup program. 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 diesel UST at this sewer lift station was installed and operated well before 1986, during a period when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. Contamination discovered at the base of the original tank excavation points to a long-term operational release spanning that pre-1986 coverage window. The documented remediation costs — tank removal, soil excavation, and the further investigation and cleanup still ahead — represent expenditures that historical CGL carriers may be obligated both to cover retroactively 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
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.
