This property has a documented history as a landfill predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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 contamination at Cedarville Landfill — leachate and landfill gas documented through decades of sampling — stems from waste disposal operations that were underway before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and routinely covered gradual environmental releases without effective pollution exclusions. Because formal cleanup has not yet begun, the full cost of designing and executing a remediation program lies ahead. Historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during the landfill's active years may be obligated to fund those upcoming cleanup costs.

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.