This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1959. 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.

Municipal fueling and maintenance operations at this site began in 1959, and a leaded gasoline UST was installed and in service by 1975 — well within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies issued to government entities carried no effective pollution exclusion. The contamination documented across multiple media — petroleum hydrocarbons, cadmium, lead, and a persistent PCE groundwater plume — is directly traceable to those pre-1986 operations at the facility. The remediation work still ahead, including shoreline restoration and active PCE plume management, represents future expenditures that historical carriers whose policies covered this public works facility before 1986 may be obligated to fund.

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.