This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1928. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations 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.

Industrial operations at this pulp and paper mill began in 1928 — nearly six decades before the 1986 policy era that effectively stripped pollution coverage from Commercial General Liability policies. The site passed through multiple owners and operators over a 64-year operational span, each of whom may have held occurrence-based CGL policies during their tenure. The remediation costs being estimated for full site cleanup — excavation, capping, long-term monitoring, and the Agreed Order work yet to come — represent expenditures that historical carriers across that operational window 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.