This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1981. 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.

Environmental studies at this property document conditions dating to 1981 and 1982 — more than four years before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies began incorporating effective pollution exclusions in Washington. The heavy oil, petroleum hydrocarbons, and chlorinated-solvent contamination identified in groundwater here traces to routine facility operations that were in place well before that threshold. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to King County during that pre-1986 window may be obligated to contribute to both the monitoring and remediation costs already incurred and the cleanup expenditures that remain 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.