This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
Taylor Dock operated as a waterfront petroleum transfer and storage facility, with documented historical activities including petroleum product transfer tied to an adjacent upland bulk fuel storage facility, tar storage and transfer from dock structures, creosote-coated pilings, and ancillary industrial operations such as canning and warehousing. Contamination consistent with those operations — polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from tar and creosote sources — has been identified at the site. No remediation activities such as excavation, groundwater treatment, or vapor extraction have yet commenced; the site remains classified as Awaiting Cleanup. 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 dock property originates from petroleum transfer, tar handling, and creosote application — practices that substantially pre-date 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. PAH contamination from tar and creosote is precisely the type of gradual, diffuse release those policies were written to cover. The investigation and remediation costs now ahead for this waterfront property could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose policies were in force when those dock operations were 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
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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.
