This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1924. 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.

Manufacturing operations at this property began in approximately 1924 — more than six decades before 1986 — and involved chlorinated solvents, leaded gasoline stored in underground tanks, and industrial chemicals associated with foundry, welding, and painting work. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the facility operators during those pre-1986 decades carried no effective pollution exclusion and remain enforceable today. The documented remediation costs — multiple UST removals, large-scale soil excavation, years of vacuum extraction, and continuing groundwater treatment — represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated to fund for both past work and the remediation still ahead.

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.