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 contamination at this property — petroleum hydrocarbons and lead from decades of fueling and vehicle maintenance — originated from government operations that ended before 1970, more than fifteen years before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. The documented remediation expenditures for UST removal, sump excavation, and contaminated soil disposal trace directly to releases that occurred during the pre-1986 policy window. Historical carriers who covered these municipal operations may still be obligated to recover past cleanup costs and to fund any remaining remediation 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.