This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility 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.

PCB contamination at this site was deposited prior to 1970 — more than fifteen years before occurrence-based CGL policies began incorporating effective pollution exclusions — and the named industrial operators who contributed that contamination held policies written on an occurrence basis during that window. The documented remediation expenditures here — large-scale river channel excavation, dam reconstruction, sediment armoring, and anticipated future capping or dredging — represent substantial costs tied directly to pre-1986 industrial discharges. Historical carriers whose CGL policies covered any of the contributing upstream operators during that era may still be obligated to fund those remediation costs.

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.