This property has a documented history as a landfill going back to 1950. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.

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 facility at 1621 Marine View Drive operated continuously from the 1950s — more than three decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The petroleum hydrocarbons, PAHs, and heavy metals found in groundwater here trace to decades of mining, waste recycling, and underground storage tank operations conducted during that pre-1986 window. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies covering the Port of Tacoma's operations from the 1950s through the mid-1980s may still be obligated to recover the remediation costs incurred under the Agreed Order.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.