This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1966. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.

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 underground storage tanks removed from the Renton Treatment Plant in 1991 were installed around 1966, placing more than two decades of fuel storage and dispensing operations squarely within the era when occurrence-based CGL policies were standard. The documented remediation expenditures at this site — multi-tank removal, soil excavation and off-site disposal, and over two decades of groundwater monitoring before closure — represent costs tied directly to releases from those pre-1986 tank operations. Historical carriers who insured the facility during the years those tanks were in active service may still bear obligations for the cleanup costs incurred.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.