This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations 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.

Petroleum contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks that were installed and operated well before 1986 — a diesel tank alone was removed as far back as 1971, confirming decades of pre-1986 municipal fueling operations. Occurrence-based CGL policies in effect during that era carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law and remain enforceable today. The documented remediation expenditures here — large-scale soil excavation, UST removals, monitoring-well installation, years of groundwater sampling, and planned bioremediation — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund through completion.

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.