This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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 originated from vehicle dismantling and salvage operations conducted before 1986 — a finding confirmed by the 1991 investigation's identification of historical contamination, including lead residues characteristic of the leaded-gasoline era. Occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies issued to the operators during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion and remain enforceable today. The remediation costs now confronting the property owner — investigation, cleanup design, and active remediation — are tied directly to those historical operations, and historical carriers whose policies were in effect during that period may be obligated to fund the work ahead.

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.