This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance 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.

Petroleum contamination at this installation originated from military operations — including washrack and motor pool activities — that were well underway before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation expenditures here — soil excavation, well installation, decades of groundwater monitoring, and ongoing natural-attenuation management — represent costs tied directly to releases from that pre-1986 operational period. Historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during those years may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund the monitoring that continues today.

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.