This property has a documented history as a landfill going back to 1954. 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 contamination driving decades of cleanup here originated from landfill disposal and industrial operations that began in the 1950s — more than three decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation record, from a 1993 Record of Decision through ongoing groundwater monitoring, reflects sustained expenditures tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the landfill's active years may still bear obligations for those cleanup costs.

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.