This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1890. 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.

The heavy-metal contamination at this site originated from mining and waste-discharge operations that began in the late 1800s and continued until 1968 — a span of operations entirely predating 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation program here — sediment excavation, engineered capping, institutional controls, and ongoing long-term monitoring — represents substantial incurred and continuing costs tied directly to those pre-1986 discharge events. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the mining and metallurgical operators during that operational window may remain obligated to contribute to those remediation expenditures.

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.