This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1900. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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.

Industrial operations at this site — railcar manufacturing, metalworking, machining, painting, and foundry work — began in the early 1900s and continued for decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard. The scale of contamination documented here, with remediation volumes of 11,000 cubic yards and multi-year groundwater monitoring, points to significant remediation expenditures tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during that long operational window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund the remediation work that remains.

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.