This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1950. 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.

Contamination at this property traces to petroleum storage and manufacturing operations that began in the early 1950s — more than three decades before occurrence-based CGL policies were replaced by claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The documented remediation costs here — UST removals, large-scale soil excavation, groundwater recovery, failed landfarming, and ultimate off-site disposal — were incurred to address releases from infrastructure installed and operated during that pre-1986 policy window. Historical carriers who covered Bardahl's manufacturing operations during those decades may be obligated both to reimburse past cleanup expenditures and to fund the remediation that remains ahead.

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.