This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1966. 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.

Applying standard tank lifecycle analysis, the UST at this property was installed no later than 1966 — over two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies began incorporating effective pollution exclusions. A Snohomish County well record from 1979 independently corroborates that facility operations were established well within the pre-1986 CGL era. Because contamination persisted beyond the 1991 independent cleanup and remediation remains ongoing, the historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Waste Management Inc. during that pre-1986 window may be obligated both to recover documented past remediation costs and to fund the cleanup work that still lies ahead.

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.