This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1942. 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 maintenance operations that generated TPH contamination at this installation were underway for decades before 1986, the year occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies began routinely excluding pollution claims. Carriers who issued CGL coverage to the base's operators during that pre-1986 window had no such exclusion, and those policies may remain enforceable today. The documented cleanup program — long-term groundwater monitoring, natural attenuation management, and land use restrictions — represents both past expenditures and ongoing costs that historical carriers may be obligated to recover and to fund as remediation continues.

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.