This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop 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 documented here — petroleum hydrocarbons and lead co-mingled in groundwater — is characteristic of vehicle dismantling operations that were active well before 1986, when leaded gasoline was still in common use and occurrence-based CGL policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The presence of lead alongside diesel and heavy oil places the contamination origin squarely within the operational window of those historical policies. The remediation expenditures at this property — soil excavation, oil-water separator pumping, and multi-year groundwater monitoring — are the kind of documented cleanup costs that the carriers who issued CGL coverage during the wrecking yard's active years may still be obligated to recover.

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.