This property has a documented history as a farm and agricultural operation predating 1986. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this property originated from a bulk plant and underground storage tanks that were already designated "former" facilities in a 1997 regulatory document — placing their operational period well before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The remediation costs documented here — large-scale soil excavation, biopile treatment, and an ongoing multi-year groundwater monitoring program — are the type of long-tail environmental expenditures that historical carriers who issued policies during the facility's active petroleum operations 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.