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 — 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.

The Bunker C and PAH contamination documented here is the product of cumulative industrial fuel use across the full operational life of the log sorting yard — operations that concluded before 2012 and almost certainly predate 1986 by decades. Occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies issued to Rayonier and its predecessors during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion and remain legally enforceable. The investigation, toxicity evaluation, and excavation costs incurred at this site represent cleanup expenditures that historical carriers who covered operations at this facility may 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.