This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1972. 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 underground storage tanks at this school district facility were likely installed no later than 1972 — well within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The petroleum contamination discovered in soil upon their 1997 removal traces directly to decades of fueling operations under those pre-1986 policies. Documented remediation costs — tank decommissioning, soil excavation, onsite treatment, and backfill — represent expenditures that historical carriers who covered the district's operations during that window may be obligated both to recover 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.