This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1983. 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.

Screenprinting operations at this property began in 1983 — before the 1986 threshold at which occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies began carrying effective pollution exclusions. The decades-long practice of washing screen printing chemicals, including chlorinated solvents, into the onsite septic system is precisely the kind of gradual, ongoing release those pre-1986 CGL policies were written to cover. Investigation and remediation costs the property owner now faces could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose policies were in force during the years that contamination accumulated in the septic system and surrounding soil.

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.