This property has a documented history as a landfill going back to 1958. 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.

Waste disposal — including hazardous substances — at this landfill began in 1958 and continued for decades under operators whose occurrence-based CGL policies, issued before 1986, carried no effective pollution exclusion. The contamination now driving active landfill gas control, leachate collection, and long-term groundwater monitoring traces directly to that pre-1986 operational history. Historical insurers whose policies covered the City of Centralia or its contract operators during those years may bear ongoing obligations for the remediation and monitoring costs the site continues to incur.

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.