This property has a documented history as a farm and agricultural operation 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.

The arsenic contamination documented here is specifically attributed to agricultural operations that predate the motel's construction in the early 1960s, placing the originating land use in the era before CGL policies carried effective pollution exclusions. Carriers who insured the farming activities at this property, or the motel in its early decades of operation, may bear obligations both to recover the costs of the investigations already completed and to fund the active remediation work now proceeding under the Voluntary Cleanup Program. That dual exposure — documented past expenditures plus an open, ongoing cleanup phase — is what gives this site standing to pursue historical carriers.

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.