This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1965. 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 petroleum contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks likely installed around the mid-1960s to support cannery operations — more than two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Documented remediation expenditures spanning over fifteen years — facility demolition, UST removal, large-scale soil excavation, and long-term groundwater monitoring — were incurred to address releases tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. With cleanup still underway, historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the cannery's operational window may be obligated both to reimburse past costs and to fund ongoing remediation.

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.