This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1883. 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.

Industrial operations at this site began circa 1883 — more than a century before 1986 — and the contamination now driving remediation is rooted in that long pre-1986 operational history. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the mill's operators during the pre-1986 decades contained no effective pollution exclusion and remain enforceable today. The documented remediation costs — UST removal, soil excavation, continuous wastewater treatment, and an ongoing multi-year Remedial Investigation — represent expenditures that historical carriers whose policies were in force during the relevant operational periods 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.