This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1936. 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 at this property traces directly to drum reconditioning operations that began no later than 1936 — more than four decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The residual chemicals involved — PCBs, metals, oils, and industrial solvents processed continuously through the pre-1986 period — represent the gradual, ongoing release pattern those policies were written to cover. With a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study still active and additional remediation work yet to be executed, historical carriers who issued CGL coverage during the Northwest Cooperage operating years may be obligated both to fund remaining cleanup and to recover costs already incurred.

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.