This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. 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.

The mercury releases here are directly tied to manometers that were installed and in active use before 1986 — the period when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies covered pollution claims without an effective pollution exclusion. Because the contamination originated from pre-1986 equipment and operations, historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Northwest Pipeline GP during that window may bear obligation for the investigation and remediation costs now accumulating across this multi-site program. The scope of the company's evaluation — more than 70 facilities statewide — signals the scale of potential recovery from pre-1986 insurance obligations.

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.