This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1916. 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 diesel storage infrastructure at this property — including an above-ground tank and at least one underground storage tank — was installed and in active use prior to 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The diverse commercial and light industrial tenants who operated at this address from 1916 onward would have held CGL coverage during the years those tanks were in service. With active cleanup still ahead, historical carriers whose policies were in force during those pre-1986 decades of operation may bear an obligation to fund the remediation costs to come.

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.