This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. 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 hydraulic oil and PCB releases documented at this site originated from pulp mill operations that predated 1986, the year occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies began incorporating effective pollution exclusions — meaning the policies in force when these releases occurred carried no such bar. ITT Rayonier's multi-year remediation program — oil recovery wells, groundwater treatment, soil cleanup to regulatory standards, and nearly two decades of monitoring and operation — represents documented expenditures directly tied to those pre-1986 industrial releases. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Rayonier during the operational period when the contamination originated may remain obligated to fund recovery of those cleanup 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.