This property has a documented history as a landfill going back to 1946. 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.

Landfilling operations at this property began as early as 1946, and site infrastructure — including pumping wells installed between 1964 and 1981 — was in active use for decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies remained standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The County MSW Landfill's lack of a liner is documented as a direct consequence of pre-November 1985 regulatory conditions, directly tying the contamination pathway to pre-1986 operational choices. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the operators of these facilities during that window may be obligated to fund ongoing remediation expenditures — covers, gas extraction, monitoring — and to recover costs already incurred.

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.