This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. 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.

The chlorinated compounds — including TCE, a hallmark of industrial metal finishing and degreasing — detected in groundwater here originated from manufacturing operations that were well established before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The documented remediation at this site — waste unit closures, reimbursement agreements tied to historical disposal, and a pump-and-treat system with no defined end date — represents both past expenditures and an open-ended forward cost stream traceable to those pre-1986 hazardous substance activities. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during BSB's operational window may be obligated to contribute to costs already incurred and to fund the ongoing groundwater treatment still underway.

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.