This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
Power Master Inc. operated work trucks at this industrial property in Federal Way, with routine truck-washing activities at the site's northeast corner releasing waste material containing cadmium and mercury into the surrounding soil. An underground storage tank was also present at the property and had been removed prior to a 1991 environmental assessment. Remediation to date has included fuel tank removal and excavation of approximately 32 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the former truck washing area, with that material drummed and transported off-site for disposal. 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 — cadmium- and mercury-laden truck-wash runoff accumulating in soil, alongside a fuel tank in service well before its pre-1991 removal — originated from industrial fleet operations that predate 1986, the year occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies began incorporating effective pollution exclusions. The site remains in awaiting-cleanup status, meaning the costs of full remedial investigation and soil treatment lie ahead rather than behind. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Power Master Inc. during its pre-1986 operational window may be obligated to fund those forthcoming cleanup expenditures.
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.
