This property has a documented history as a landfill going back to 1974. 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.

VOC contamination in groundwater at this site traces directly to landfill gas generated by decades of municipal solid waste disposal that began in 1974 — twelve years before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The remediation expenditures already incurred — landfill gas extraction infrastructure, phased closure and final cover installation, and years of groundwater monitoring — along with costs still ahead represent the kind of long-tail environmental liability that historical carriers may be obligated both to reimburse and to continue funding under policies issued during that pre-1986 operational window.

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.