This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1964. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks installed in 1964 and operated continuously for over three decades — more than twenty years before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The documented remediation costs already incurred — tank removal, large-scale soil excavation and treatment, years of groundwater monitoring — along with the additional cleanup Ecology has required for residual groundwater contamination, represent expenditures that historical carriers who covered the city's operations during the pre-1986 window may be obligated both to reimburse 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.