This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop 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.

Applying standard tank-lifecycle reasoning, the AST at South Sound Radiator was likely installed around 1980 — approximately 25 years before its 2005 decommissioning — placing its installation within the window when occurrence-based CGL policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The gasoline and xylene contamination discovered in site soils traces directly to that pre-1986 storage operation. Historical carriers who wrote CGL policies covering South Sound Radiator's automotive operations during those years may be obligated to fund the investigation and remediation costs the property owner still faces.

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.