This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1964. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property served as the base for Columbia River Truck Company, a trucking freight business whose underground storage tanks — a 1,500-gallon diesel UST and a 1,000-gallon gasoline UST — were decommissioned and removed in 1989. The diesel tank exhibited severe deterioration, with obvious overfill problems and eight to ten holes through its shell, consistent with decades of service. Petroleum contamination has been confirmed in groundwater at the site, and a 2008 site inspection documented significant amounts of petroleum products entering storm water catch basins. Cleanup is underway through Washington's Voluntary 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.
Columbia River Truck Company's trucking and fuel-storage operations at this site predate 1986 — the severely deteriorated USTs removed in 1989 are consistent with installation decades earlier, during the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The site now carries confirmed petroleum contamination in groundwater and surface water, with remediation costs accruing under the Voluntary Cleanup Program. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies covering this facility during its pre-1986 operational years may bear obligations toward those cleanup expenditures.
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.