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.

Contamination at this property — bio-oil residues, petroleum products, metals, and phenols — accumulated over decades of industrial use at a site with commercial ownership predating 1988 and documented poor practices stretching back many years before they were first reported. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued during the pre-1986 window, when pollution exclusions were not yet standard in Washington, may cover the progressive contamination that built up during that period. The remediation costs already documented — tens of thousands of gallons of liquid waste removal, hundreds of tons of soil excavation, hazardous container disposal, and facility decommissioning — along with ongoing cleanup obligations represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund going forward.

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.