This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1925. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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.

TCE contamination at this property is attributable to industrial solvent use by tenants who operated here decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and lacked effective pollution exclusions in Washington. Palmer Electric, Storage Battery Service Dealers, and United Electric Motors each operated during windows when those policies were in force. As investigations advance and remedial design begins, the documented and anticipated costs — indoor air mitigation, multi-phase investigation, and expected multi-year cleanup of soil, groundwater, and soil vapor — are precisely the type of expenditures that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during those pre-1986 operational windows may be obligated to fund.

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.