This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property has a history of heavy industrial use stretching back decades, beginning with an iron works that occupied the site until at least 1949, followed by a manufacturing company in the 1950s, a welded wire mesh manufacturer, and the current occupant, International Belt and Rubber Supply. Under the Voluntary Cleanup Program, remediation has included injection of potassium permanganate solution into shallow groundwater in 2007, with quarterly and long-term groundwater monitoring ongoing. Approximately 2,600 cubic yards of soil were identified as impacted, and a restrictive covenant has been proposed for the property. 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.
Contamination at this site — trichloroethylene, arsenic, lead, chromium, other solvents, and PAHs — is explicitly linked to the former iron works and subsequent industrial operations that predate 1986 by decades. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to operators during that long industrial tenure carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington and remain enforceable. The documented remediation expenditures already incurred and the ongoing monitoring and cleanup obligations ahead represent costs that historical carriers who insured these operations may be obligated both to reimburse 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.
