This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1951. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property was established in 1951 as a United States Air Force aircraft control and intercept facility, comprising 66 structures including dormitories, housing units, a radar tower, an auto maintenance shop, and a vehicle fueling station. The Air Force closed the facility in 1975, and contamination from leaking underground storage tanks — including gasoline — was identified during initial investigations in 1998. A 2007 site scoring assessment confirmed soil contamination above cleanup levels, and the site is now subject to formal cleanup proceedings 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.
Every fueling and maintenance operation at this Air Force facility — the source of the documented UST contamination — took place between 1951 and 1975, entirely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The contamination now confirmed in the soil here was occurring during precisely the period those policies were written to cover. Investigation costs already incurred and the remediation expenditures ahead could plausibly be recovered from historical carriers whose policies were in force during the decades this facility was active.
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.
