This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1982. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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 releases documented at this site are directly tied to underground storage tanks that were installed and in active service before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and contained no effective pollution exclusion. The site's contamination origin — UST and AST releases from fleet-fueling and oil-storage operations predating 1986 — falls squarely within the trigger period those policies were written to cover. Nearly three decades of documented remediation expenditures, from initial soil excavation through tank repairs, containment infrastructure, and long-term monitoring, represent costs that historical carriers whose policies were in force during the pre-1986 operational window may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.