This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1949. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
Between 1949 and 1997, this property housed engine remanufacturing operations — first under TAM Engineering Corporation and later others — involving teardown, cleaning, assembly, and storage of used automobile parts using dip tanks, degreasers, and chlorinated and non-chlorinated solvents. Environmental investigations began in 1986, and remediation under the Voluntary Cleanup Program has included removal of five underground storage tanks, excavation and disposal of 170 tons of contaminated soil and debris, backfilling, and additional UST decommissioning. Adjacent properties have also undergone soil vapor extraction, oxygen release compound injection for groundwater treatment, and continuous groundwater extraction as part of the broader site response. 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 property originates from solvent-intensive degreasing and parts-cleaning operations that began in 1949 — more than three decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. Multiple USTs installed prior to 1986 and waste stockpiling documented through at least 1970 anchor the contamination timeline squarely within that pre-1986 operational window. The remediation expenditures incurred here and on adjacent properties — UST removals, soil excavation, vapor extraction, groundwater treatment — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund as the Voluntary Cleanup Program work continues.
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.
