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 UST-sourced petroleum release at this property was already more than a decade old as of 1993, confirming that contamination originated well before 1986 — when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies had no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Historical carriers whose CGL policies covered this industrial property during the operational period when the release first occurred may still be obligated to respond to cleanup claims. The documented remediation costs — five UST removals, soil excavation and off-site disposal, groundwater monitoring, and impacted soil yet to be fully addressed — represent both past expenditures and continuing obligations that pre-1986 policies may be called upon 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.