This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. 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 site traces to a gasoline UST that served the mill's historical operations — a slow, ongoing release from infrastructure installed and used well before 1986. Cleanup costs here have already spanned multiple phases, from the original tank excavation and remediation through Ecology's current determination that prior work fell short of MTCA standards, with further expenditures now required. Any CGL carriers that covered the Cowlitz Stud Mill during the years the UST was leaking may bear obligation for both the remediation costs already incurred and those still ahead.

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.