This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1969. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this facility originated from fueling operations that supported government fleet vehicles at a site operational since the late 1960s — well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The documented remediation costs to date — tank removal, large-scale soil excavation, fluid recovery, and over two decades of groundwater monitoring — represent expenditures tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. With cleanup still underway, historical carriers whose CGL policies were in effect during the facility's early decades may be obligated both to reimburse past remediation costs and to fund the work that remains.

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.