This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1952. 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.

Fueling and maintenance operations at this facility began in 1952 — more than three decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The contamination discovered here, from both petroleum infrastructure and historic subsurface utilities, is the product of those decades of pre-1986 operations. Documented remediation expenditures — large-scale soil excavation, tank removals, infrastructure demolition, and years of groundwater monitoring — represent costs that historical CGL carriers may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund as cleanup continues.

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.