This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1961. 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 PCB contamination at this property traces directly to transformer-repair operations that GE conducted from 1961 through 1980 — spanning more than two decades during which occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Contamination was first identified in an October 1985 site inspection, placing its discovery squarely within the coverage window of pre-1986 policies that were in force during GE's operational tenure here. The remediation expenditures documented at this site — excavation, vitrification, incineration, deep grouting, and long-term monitoring with institutional controls, totaling millions of dollars — represent costs that historical carriers who issued CGL policies to GE during that period may still 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.