This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1942. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.

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 lead contamination at this site traces directly to small arms firing range operations conducted by federal government entities beginning in 1942 — more than four decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still lacked effective pollution exclusions. The contamination reflects the kind of gradual, long-running accumulation that pre-1986 CGL policies were written to cover. The documented remediation expenditures — soil excavation, waste transport, site stabilization, drainage improvements, and ongoing monitoring — represent costs potentially recoverable from historical carriers whose policies were in force during the decades of active range operations.

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.