This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1920. 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 contamination profile at this property — chlorinated solvents from degreasing operations, petroleum hydrocarbons from a long-operated UST, PAHs from vehicle repair, and metals consistent with painting and machining — traces directly to automotive and industrial activities that began in the 1920s and ran continuously through the 1980s, decades before effective pollution exclusions were added to CGL policies. Occurrence-based policies issued to the operators and tenants of this property during that pre-1986 window remain enforceable in Washington, and the documented remediation expenditures now accumulating under the Voluntary Cleanup Program represent costs those historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.