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.

Manufacturing and painting operations at this property are documented from at least 1950, placing them squarely in the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and lacked an effective pollution exclusion. The contamination mix here — PCE, TCE, metals, TPH, and cPAHs — reflects the chronic, diffuse releases typical of long-running industrial tenancies, exactly the exposure profile those pre-1986 policies were written to address. The documented remediation costs — soil excavation to twelve-foot depths, off-site disposal, and groundwater monitoring — represent expenditures that historical carriers whose policies covered operations during that pre-1986 window may be obligated to 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.