This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This property served as a former United States Post Office facility in Seattle's International District, where vehicle fleet maintenance and fueling operations left petroleum hydrocarbon and lead contamination in soil. Site characterization — initial investigations and soil sampling — was completed as of May 2014, but no cleanup actions have been conducted. The property is enrolled in Ecology's Standard Cleanup program and remains in the awaiting-cleanup phase. 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 documented here — diesel-range and oil-range petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and lead in soil — is characteristic of vehicle fleet operations conducted during the leaded gasoline era, which ended by 1986. Occurrence-based CGL policies in force during that period carried no effective pollution exclusion and may remain enforceable against historical carriers today. With site characterization complete and active remediation still ahead, the property owner faces forthcoming investigation design and cleanup costs that could plausibly be funded by those pre-1986 policies.
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.
