This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1924. 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.

Mining operations at this site began more than six decades before 1986, placing them squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The environmental hazards identified at the Washington Mine — stemming from decades of lead and zinc extraction — represent the kind of long-duration industrial release those pre-1986 policies were written to cover. As the site moves from investigation into remedial design and cleanup, the costs ahead could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose policies were in force during the mine's operational years.

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.