This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1937. 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.

Contamination at this facility traces to maintenance and industrial operations that began in the late 1930s — nearly five decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims. The documented remediation expenditures — soil excavation, dry well removal, bioremediation, capping, stormwater system installation, and over a decade of groundwater monitoring — were incurred to address releases tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during that operational window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund the remediation work that continues at the site.

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.