This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1960. 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.

The contamination at this property originated from roughly two decades of used-fluid discharge — first into an unlined ditch, then through a separator — tied directly to operations that predate 1986. Occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies issued during that pre-1986 window routinely lacked effective pollution exclusions and remain enforceable against the carriers who wrote them. The costs still ahead — stockpile removal, further soil remediation, and any required long-term monitoring — represent exactly the kind of expenditure that historical carriers whose policies were in force during the discharge years 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.