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 — and recover costs already spent.
This property served as a municipal fire station in Auburn before being abandoned and designated a historical cleanup site by the Washington Department of Ecology. Petroleum contamination — including benzene and other petroleum hydrocarbons — has been identified in groundwater beneath the property, with a 2013 Ecology status update confirming contamination above regulatory levels. Cleanup is underway under the state'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.
The petroleum contamination at this site — benzene and gasoline-related hydrocarbons in groundwater — is consistent with underground storage tank infrastructure typical of older municipal facilities. As a municipal fire station in an established city, the facility's operational timeline likely extended well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. If historical CGL coverage was in force during the period when contamination originated, those policies may provide a basis for recovering the investigation and remediation costs this site now requires.
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.