This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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.

Contamination at this site is attributed to historical chlorinated solvent disposal that predates 1986 — the year occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies with no effective pollution exclusion were superseded by the modern exclusionary form. Ciba-Geigy and Hexcel each operated the facility during the period when that contamination was being identified and addressed under earlier policy structures. The documented remediation costs — slurry wall installation, decades of groundwater extraction, bioremediation programs, and long-term monitoring — represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund as cleanup continues.

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.