This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1970. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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.

Auto wrecking operations here began more than fifteen years before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The contaminant profile — petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, chlorinated solvents, and PCBs — reflects the kind of diffuse, sustained release from decades of industrial activity that those policies were written to cover. While preliminary site work is complete, the full remediation program — formal cleanup design, active treatment, and monitoring through to No Further Action — has not yet begun. Historical carriers whose policies were in force during the wrecking yard's pre-1986 operations may be obligated to fund those upcoming costs.

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.