This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1890. 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.

Industrial operations at this property began in the 1890s — nearly a century before 1986 — and underground storage tanks confirmed to have contained leaded gasoline were active during the pre-1986 window when occurrence-based CGL policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The site's designation as a Superfund NPL site reflects contamination attributable to those decades of industrial activity, and the Consent Order governing the investigation remains active. Historical carriers whose CGL policies covered operations at this property during the pre-1986 period may be obligated both to recover documented remediation expenditures and to fund the costs of cleanup work that 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.