This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1960. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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.

Auto recycling and vehicle dismantling at this site began in the 1960s, more than two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The heavy oil, diesel, and metals contamination documented here reflects the slow, continuous release characteristic of long-term industrial vehicle processing — precisely the liability profile those pre-1986 policies were written to address. The formal cleanup that lies ahead — soil remediation, ongoing hazardous waste management, and monitoring — represents expenditures that historical carriers whose policies were in force during those earlier decades of operation may be obligated to fund.

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.