This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing 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 contamination at this site is tied to historical fueling and maintenance operations and former underground storage tanks — the kind of gradual, operations-driven release that occurrence-based CGL policies issued before 1986 were designed to cover. With the site listed as contaminated since 1990 and cleanup still underway, the remediation cost trail continues to grow. Historical carriers who provided CGL coverage during the pre-1986 operational window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup expenditures and to fund the remaining work.

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.