This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
The SAC Associates Tower 2 commercial office building was constructed as part of the SeaTac Office Center between 1974 and 1980, with a diesel fuel underground storage tank installed to power an on-site emergency generator. The UST leaked through corroded product piping, releasing diesel fuel into soil and groundwater over an extended period of operation. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program included removal of two USTs totaling 3,000 gallons of capacity, excavation of 17.9 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil, and a multi-year quarterly groundwater monitoring program using installed wells, with an infiltration gallery also installed for potential chemical treatment. The site has reached No Further Action status. 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 diesel fuel release at this property originated from underground storage tanks installed and operational from the mid-to-late 1970s, a period when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The corrosion-driven nature of the leak indicates a gradual, long-term release that extended through the full pre-1986 coverage window. Historical CGL carriers who issued policies to the building owner during those operating years may retain obligations to recover the documented remediation costs — UST removals, soil excavation, and years of groundwater monitoring — tied directly to that pre-1986 release.
Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.
Recovering Costs from an Older Cleanup
If this site reached No Further Action years ago, the original cleanup expenditures may be difficult to reconstruct. Restorical's forensic accounting team specializes in re-establishing and documenting past cleanup costs — even decades later — to build the strongest possible basis for an insurance recovery claim.
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.
