This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1980. 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 lead contamination at this facility traces directly to indoor firing range operations that began in the early 1980s — before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The continuous accumulation and off-gassing of lead dust from the ventilation system during that pre-1986 operational window is the type of slow, ongoing release those policies were written to address. The documented remediation costs — soil excavation, structural surface cleaning, drainage modifications, and exhaust controls — represent expenditures that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the facility's pre-1986 years may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.