This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1939. 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.

Contamination at this facility stems from military-industrial operations that began in 1939 — nearly five decades before occurrence-based CGL policies were replaced by claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. The documented remediation expenditures — soil excavation, tank removals, landfill capping, gas-collection infrastructure, shoreline stabilization, and decades of environmental monitoring — represent costs tied directly to releases from those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the facility's operational window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund the ongoing monitoring and maintenance this site still requires.

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.