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

The detection of total lead in site groundwater — a byproduct of leaded gasoline that was largely phased out before 1986 — ties the original UST operations directly to the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Contamination from those historical fuel storage operations, documented in both soil and groundwater, creates a plausible basis for accessing the historical carriers who insured Pease & Sons during that pre-1986 window. The remaining remediation work — further excavation, monitoring, and potential bioaugmentation — represents expenditures those carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.