This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance 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.

The petroleum contamination at this site is tied to underground storage tanks that were in service for decades before their 1991 removal — squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Documented remediation expenditures here span more than two decades: tank removals, soil excavation, monitoring well installation, and long-term groundwater sampling, with additional investigation triggered years later by persistent contamination. Because cleanup is still underway, historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during the tanks' operational life may be obligated both to recover past costs and to fund the remediation 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.