This property has a documented history as a facility using PFAS-containing firefighting foam going back to 1942. 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.

The AFFF-driven PFAS releases at Fairchild AFB trace to fire training operations and aircraft incidents that were active for decades before 1986 — and the IRP's formal documentation of those releases in 1984 means contamination was on record while occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still being written and renewed at the installation. AFFF-sourced PFAS fits the gradual, continuing-trigger release pattern that pre-1986 CGL policies covered before effective pollution exclusions became standard. The multi-phase remediation expenditures now documented across Fairchild's operable units — soil and sediment excavation, groundwater treatment, long-term monitoring, and alternative water supply programs — represent costs that historical carriers whose policies were active during the IRP's 1984 trigger window 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.