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.

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 here — chlorinated solvents, halogenated organic compounds, metals, and PAHs — is the signature of chronic industrial coating and degreasing operations, not a discrete spill. Because investigators found no evidence of a recent accident and attributed the releases to long-standing operational practices, the contamination almost certainly originated well before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies were still in force and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The remediation costs still ahead — full site characterization, active cleanup, and long-term oversight — represent expenditures that historical carriers whose policies covered this facility during those pre-1986 operations 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.