This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1960. 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.

The contamination at this Marysville industrial yard traces directly to fueling and equipment-maintenance operations that began in the late 1960s — roughly two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies still provided meaningful pollution coverage. The documented remediation costs here — five separate excavation areas, nearly 380 tons of impacted soil removed, and an active multi-year monitoring program — represent exactly the kind of expenditures that historical carriers whose policies were in force during the pre-1986 operational window may be obligated both to recover 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.