This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1944. 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.

Chlorinated-solvent contamination at this property is attributed to activated carbon recycling operations that began in 1944 — more than four decades before occurrence-based CGL policies began including effective pollution exclusions in 1986. The documented remediation trail here — surface impoundment closure, resident water supply, source control, and a long-term monitoring regime with ongoing Ecology oversight costs — represents exactly the kind of cumulative expenditure those historical carriers were obligated to cover. Insurers who issued CGL policies to Cameron-Yakima during its pre-1986 operating years may still be reachable for both past cleanup costs and continuing financial assurance obligations.

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.