This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1974. 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.

Contamination at this property — leaded gasoline from underground storage tanks and chlorinated solvents from equipment maintenance operations — traces to activities dating to 1974 and to fill material placed in the 1970s, well before 1986 when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation work — UST removals, soil excavation, groundwater treatment, and ongoing monitoring under an environmental covenant — represents costs tied directly to those pre-1986 operations and releases. Historical carriers whose policies covered this facility during that operational window may be obligated both to recover incurred cleanup expenditures and to fund the remediation work that remains.

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.