This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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 probable contamination source here — creosote-treated bridge pilings from former overpasses — represents infrastructure that was installed and in active service during the decades when occurrence-based CGL policies covered the City's public works operations, before 1986's pollution-exclusion era. Because occurrence-based policies attach at the time of the underlying contamination event rather than the moment of discovery, the carriers who insured Centralia's public infrastructure during the operational lifespan of those pilings may retain exposure for the cleanup costs now recognized at this site. The excavation, groundwater treatment, and remaining remediation obligations could plausibly be funded by historical insurers whose policies were in force while that creosote infrastructure was in place.

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.