This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1957. 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.

Contamination at this municipal facility originated from underground storage tanks installed in 1957 and 1959 — nearly three decades before occurrence-based CGL policies ceased covering pollution claims in 1986. The documented cleanup expenditures here — tank removals, soil excavation and disposal, free-product recovery, and over 16 years of groundwater monitoring — represent costs incurred to remediate releases tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued occurrence-based policies to the City of Seattle during the decades these tanks were in service may still be obligated to reimburse the cleanup costs already spent to bring this site to its No Further Action status.

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.