This property has a documented history as a landfill going back to 1972. 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.

Landfill operations here began in 1972 and contamination was already confirmed and on the regulatory record by 1985 — entirely within the window when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and lacked enforceable pollution exclusions. The operators at the time — Spokane County and the City of Spokane — carried institutional insurance during those pre-1986 years, and the slow, continuous leachate migration and groundwater impacts documented at this site are precisely the type of occurrence those policies were written to cover. Decades of documented expenditures on cap construction, collection systems, and long-term monitoring represent costs that historical carriers may still be obligated to fund.

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.