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 — 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 diesel and gasoline USTs at this fire station were in service well before 1986, during the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. Documented remediation costs — tank removal, soil excavation, and years of groundwater monitoring — stem directly from releases tied to those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who insured the fire district during that period may be obligated to recover those expenditures and to fund any further treatment the site requires.

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.