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 — 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.

The petroleum hydrocarbon contamination at this site reflects chronic, diffuse releases from railway industrial operations that were in place well before 1986 — the period when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies lacked effective pollution exclusions under Washington law. There is no documented discrete spill or accident driving this contamination; the NAPL plume and associated PAHs are consistent with decades of accumulated petroleum handling, making pre-1986 CGL policies directly relevant. With NAPL recovery and groundwater monitoring still ongoing, historical carriers who issued policies during that operational window may be obligated to fund both past remediation costs and the continuing recovery work.

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.