This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1956. 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.

GWCC's chemical handling operations ran continuously from 1956 into the 1980s — nearly three decades during which occurrence-based CGL policies covered these operations without the pollution exclusions that became standard after 1986. The contamination now driving cleanup costs — chlorinated solvents, pentachlorophenol, and petroleum products released from GWCC's repackaging and blending operations — traces directly to that insured period. With remediation already spanning thirty-plus years and major work still ahead, CGL policies issued to GWCC during its 1956–1980s operational window represent a plausible source of recovery for both the costs already incurred and the thermal treatment and monitoring yet to come.

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.