This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1967. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks, an engine sump, and a transmission sump tied to machinery maintenance operations that were already active when the facility was first reported to Ecology in 1969 — nearly two decades before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. More than 25 years of documented remediation expenditures — tank removals, large-scale soil excavation, bioremediation, and long-term groundwater monitoring — were incurred to address releases from those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during that operational window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund the remediation work that continues today.

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.