This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance 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 remediation still ahead at this site — investigation, design, and active cleanup of residual diesel, waste oil, and lead contamination — represents the primary financial exposure that historical insurance may be positioned to address. The contamination originated from a federal fueling and maintenance operation that predates 1986, the year occurrence-based CGL policies stopped reliably covering pollution claims, and those historical carriers may be obligated to fund the pending work. The three prior soil excavation campaigns, removing well over 185 tons of petroleum-contaminated material across more than two decades, further document the scope and persistence of a contamination problem rooted in those pre-1986 activities.

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.