This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1960. 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.

The heating oil release at this property originated from a storage tank supporting industrial operations that had been active for at least two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Slow subsurface releases from heating fuel systems — typically undetected for years — are precisely the contamination profile those pre-1986 policies were written to cover. With site cleanup ongoing and groundwater monitoring on record, historical carriers who issued CGL policies during this facility's long pre-1986 operational window may be obligated to fund both documented past remediation and costs yet to come.

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.