This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1960. 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.

Pentachlorophenol and creosote contamination at this property originated from wood treating operations that began in 1960 — more than two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented cost trail here is substantial: soil excavation and off-site disposal, chemical recovery operations, engineered containment, a landfill closure, drinking water infrastructure replacement, and long-term groundwater monitoring. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the operators during that pre-1986 operational window may be obligated both to recover documented remediation expenditures and to fund the ongoing cleanup work that remains.

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.