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 is a Bonneville Power Administration facility in Longview, part of a federal power infrastructure network that has operated across the Pacific Northwest since 1937. Site investigations have identified petroleum contamination in groundwater, including benzene, gasoline, diesel, and other non-halogenated organics — a contamination profile consistent with long-term fuel storage operations. The site is enrolled in Washington's Standard Cleanup program, and remediation is underway. 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.
BPA has operated facilities throughout the Pacific Northwest since 1937, and the petroleum contamination at this site is consistent with underground storage tanks that were likely installed decades before 1986. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued during that pre-1986 operational window carried no effective pollution exclusion and remain enforceable in Washington. The ongoing cleanup costs at this facility — addressing benzene and petroleum hydrocarbons in groundwater — represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.
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.