This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1964. 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 petroleum contamination at this property originates from underground storage tanks placed into service in 1964 and 1974 — both well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies remained the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. More than two decades of documented remediation expenditures — soil excavation, groundwater removal, tank removal and replacement, and continuing oversight — are directly tied to releases from those pre-1986 tank operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the facility operator during that operational window may remain obligated to fund those cleanup costs, with additional remediation expenditures likely still to come.

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.