This property has a documented history as a landfill going back to 1946. 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 contamination at this property originated from Navy waste-disposal operations that began in 1946 and continued through 1962 — squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. Decades of remediation infrastructure and ongoing maintenance — the landfill cap, hydraulic cutoff system, shoreline protection, and continuing inspection obligations — represent substantial expenditures tied directly to releases from those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the 1946–1962 operational window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund the site's continuing maintenance requirements.

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.