This property has a documented history as a landfill going back to 1971. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This property operated as an unpermitted demolition landfill from 1971 through the mid-1970s, accepting a mixed waste stream that included concrete, asphalt, oil drums, tires, pipes, wiring, and household garbage. The facility applied to become a permitted waste disposal site but never received that designation. Soil and groundwater contamination is suspected from the site's operational history, and no active cleanup or remediation has yet commenced 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.
The waste deposited at this site — including oil drums and mixed demolition debris — was placed during operations that ran entirely between 1971 and the mid-1970s, well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still standard and lacked effective pollution exclusions. The slow migration of contaminants from an unpermitted landfill is precisely the type of release those policies were written to address. Historical carriers whose policies were in force during the facility's operating years may be obligated to fund the investigation and remediation costs that lie ahead.
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.
