This property has a documented history as a landfill 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.

Landfill operations at this property ran from 1960 through 1987 — a span that encompasses the entire era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The leachate migration and landfill gas generation that have driven decades of regulatory oversight are attributable directly to waste deposited during those pre-1986 years. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Chelan County during the landfill's operational window may still be obligated to address the remediation costs the County has incurred and continues to bear under its post-closure O&M mandate.

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.