This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1970. 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.

Contamination at this site — heavy metals including chromium and lead, volatile organic compounds from industrial solvents, and petroleum hydrocarbons — originated from coating, blasting, and fabrication operations that were underway more than a decade before 1986. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued during that pre-1986 operational window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law. The remediation expenditures already incurred since 1987 and the substantial cleanup costs still ahead — vapor extraction, engineered controls, long-term monitoring — represent obligations that historical carriers may be required both to reimburse and to fund going forward.

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.