This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1950. 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 TCE contamination at this property originated from industrial operations — photo-finishing and electronics manufacturing — that spanned multiple decades before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The contamination was discovered during recent redevelopment and attributed entirely to those historical activities, with no evidence of any recent accident-related release. The documented remediation at this site — mass soil excavation, vapor barrier installation, and long-term groundwater monitoring — represents both costs already incurred and ongoing obligations that historical carriers whose policies covered operations during that pre-1986 window may be obligated to recover and fund.

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.