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 petroleum contamination at this property stems from historical releases from underground storage tanks that were in service well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Over a decade of documented remediation expenditures — tank removal, soil excavation, groundwater treatment, air sparging, bioventing, LNAPL recovery, and long-term monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers who insured the facility during that pre-1986 operational window may be obligated both to reimburse and to continue funding as cleanup work proceeds.

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.