This property has a documented history as a landfill 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.

As a closed landfill that operated before modern waste regulations took effect in 1985, this site's contamination originated during an era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The cleanup costs this property now faces — site investigation, remedial design, and long-term remediation under the Standard Cleanup program — could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose CGL policies were in effect during the landfill's operating years.

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.