This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1971. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
The Snohomish County Campus in Everett operated a government vehicle fleet maintenance and motor pool area from at least the 1970s and 1980s, with underground storage tanks — including two 10,000-gallon gasoline USTs and a diesel UST — installed circa 1971 to support those operations. Cleanup activities under the Voluntary Cleanup Program have included removal of the USTs and associated pump islands, excavation and offsite disposal of over 129,000 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil, and groundwater management through a construction dewatering system operational since November 2002, a permanent garage footing drain system, and four quarters of water monitoring. Residual contamination has been capped with pavement and vegetation, institutional controls are in place, and several USTs were closed in place with concrete. Cleanup at the site is ongoing. 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 gasoline and diesel contamination at this county government facility originated from fleet maintenance operations and USTs installed in 1971 — more than a decade before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims. The remediation record here is substantial: over 129,000 tons of impacted soil removed, a permanent groundwater management infrastructure installed, and long-term monitoring continuing across multiple quarters. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Snohomish County during the operational window of the 1970s and 1980s may be obligated both to recover those documented remediation expenditures and to fund the cleanup obligations that remain.
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.
