This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1961. 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 contamination at this property — attributed to historic spills, waste oil storage, and historic heating oil USTs tied to decades of vehicle maintenance and fabrication work — was accumulating well before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies lacked effective pollution exclusions. Operations generating those releases began no later than 1961 and continued through an era when such policies were the industry standard. The documented remediation expenditures here — interim excavation, a phased final remedy, capping, and long-term groundwater monitoring — are the type of costs that historical carriers whose policies were in force during those pre-1986 operating years 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.