This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1942. 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 site is a product of aircraft maintenance operations that began in 1942 — more than four decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the prevailing form and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The 2013 Phase II discovery did not create the contamination; it uncovered a legacy of decades of pre-1986 hangar use. The remediation costs now accumulating — soil excavation, in-situ treatment, groundwater monitoring, and institutional controls — flow directly from that historical operational period, and historical CGL carriers who covered King County's airport operations before 1986 may remain obligated to fund them.

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.