This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1900. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
The Warehouse One Port property in Olympia has a documented history of industrial use dating to the early 1900s, with the Port and successive private lessees operating on the site across multiple decades. Most recent tenants included a vehicle service facility at the northwest corner and Hytech Company, which manufactured fiberglass products in the central area of the site. A major petroleum spill from the adjacent Chevron Bulk Plant occurred in 1973, with a follow-up study completed in 1984; lead contamination has also been identified in on-site soils. Remediation to date has been limited to partial soil excavation and covering with clean fill and an asphalt parking lot, with full excavation and disposal of contaminated soil now in planning. 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 contamination at this site — lead in soils and petroleum hydrocarbons from a documented 1973 bulk-plant spill — originates from industrial and petroleum operations conducted decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law. Those historical carriers, whose policies were in force during the pre-1986 operational period at this Port property, may still bear an obligation to address the contamination they insured against. As the site moves toward full-scale excavation and soil disposal, the costs of that remediation represent expenditures that could plausibly be funded by recovering against those legacy policies.
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.
