This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1891. 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 contamination at this operable unit traces directly to sandblasting operations, burn pits, railyard use, and industrial waste disposal that occurred from the mid-1950s through the early 1980s — all within the window when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were in force and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Entities that held CGL coverage during those decades of documented copper slag, paint chip, and industrial waste disposal may retain obligations tied to the contamination those operations caused. The remediation expenditures at this site — capping, erosion control, habitat work, and long-term groundwater monitoring — represent the kind of cleanup cost trail that gives historical carriers' policies continuing legal relevance.

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.