This property has a documented history as a landfill going back to 1978. 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.

Landfill operations at this property began in 1978, placing the site's active disposal years squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The slow, diffuse migration of contaminants from mixed demolition and municipal waste — the hallmark of landfill liability — is precisely the mechanism those pre-1986 CGL policies were written to cover. As the site moves toward a formal remediation process, historical carriers that issued policies to the responsible parties during the operational years may bear obligations to fund the forthcoming investigation and cleanup costs.

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.