This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1940. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property was first developed as part of the Tacoma Tide-flats Municipal Solid Waste Landfill from 1940 to 1964, then transitioned through a succession of industrial operators — Pacific Water Works, Morgan Trucking, and a cement batch plant that operated from 1987 to 1993 — before its current use as a wooden shipping pallet recycling facility. Cleanup activities under the Voluntary Cleanup Program from 2019 through 2022 included excavation of impacted soil and confirmation sampling of soil, soil vapor, and indoor air, with contamination traced to a maintenance bay in the production building. Cleanup work is 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.
The contamination at this site — chlorinated solvents (PCE and TCE), petroleum hydrocarbons, and chromium — is consistent with decades of industrial operations that began well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The property's industrial lineage stretches back to 1940, giving historical carriers a long window of potential exposure under CGL policies issued to successive operators. Documented remediation expenditures — soil excavation, vapor and indoor air investigation, and ongoing monitoring — represent costs those carriers may be obligated both to recover 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.
