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.

The diesel and heavy-oil contamination at this site is tied directly to industrial asphalt plant operations that, given the facility's documented history and 2002 closure date, extended well before 1986 — when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. Those policies were issued on an occurrence basis, meaning historical carriers remain potentially obligated for releases that took place during the coverage period, regardless of when contamination was discovered. The documented remediation expenditures — soil investigations, excavation of impacted soils, and continuing groundwater monitoring — represent costs that historical insurers may be required both to recover and to fund as cleanup continues.

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.