This property has a documented history as a farm and agricultural operation 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 Fife property has been used for residential and agricultural purposes since at least 1940, with fields and greenhouses supporting rotating crops including grass and row crops. Historical farming operations involved the application of organochlorine pesticides — including dieldrin and DDT, the latter federally banned in 1972 — which accumulated in the soil through decades of standard agricultural practice. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program, ongoing since February 2021, has included decommissioning a heating oil UST and two gasoline USTs, limited soil and groundwater removal, and decommissioning of two water wells; further remedial action has been deemed necessary. 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 identifies dieldrin as the primary hazardous substance of concern at this site, attributing its presence to cumulative buildup from historical standard operating practices across agricultural fields and greenhouses — not a single accident, but decades of routine pesticide application predating 1986. Occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies issued to operators during that pre-1986 agricultural window carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington and remain enforceable today. The documented remediation costs already incurred — UST removals, soil and groundwater work, well decommissioning — and those still forthcoming represent expenditures that historical 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.
