This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing 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.

The gasoline UST at this meat processing facility was estimated to have been installed by 1974, placing its operational years squarely within the period when occurrence-based CGL policies covered industrial meat processors without effective pollution exclusions. Both contamination sources here — a fleet-fueling UST and an industrial hydraulic system — trace to pre-1986 operations specific to Oberto's industrial use of the property. Historical carriers who issued policies to this facility during that window may be obligated to fund the documented remediation costs, which have spanned more than two decades and two distinct phases of cleanup work.

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.