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.

Shipbuilding and ship-repair operations at this site generated contamination significant enough to warrant Superfund-level remediation — dredging of former shipways and dry docks — with long-term performance monitoring still underway. These industrial operations predate 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The scale of remediation already performed and the ongoing monitoring obligations represent costs that historical carriers who insured the facility during its operational years may be obligated to fund.

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.