This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1980. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This facility manufactured titanium sponge in Moses Lake from 1980 through 1986, when closure was announced. Operations involved storage and treatment of drummed titanium tetrachloride — a 1984 emergency permit documented up to 3,000 drums on site — and the facility was subject to RCRA hazardous waste regulation from at least January 1982. Groundwater sampling in 1987–1988 confirmed severe contamination, including chloroform at concentrations exceeding 3,100 µg/L, chromium in monitoring wells, and detectable uranium and radium across multiple wells, with additional contamination identified in surface water and sediment from on-site irrigation ditches. The site remains in Awaiting Cleanup status under Ecology's Standard Cleanup program. 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.
International Titanium's industrial operations ran from 1980 through 1986 — squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The contamination documented beneath this facility — halogenated organics, heavy metals, and radioactive wastes in groundwater — is the product of those pre-1986 manufacturing operations. Historical carriers who provided CGL coverage during the 1980–1986 operational window may be obligated to fund the investigation, design, and remediation costs the property now faces.
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.