This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1883. 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.

This rail line traces its operational history to the Northern Pacific Railroad, which completed its transcontinental route through Washington State in 1883 — more than a century before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. Both Union Pacific and BNSF predecessor railroads have operated continuously in Washington since the 1800s, a span during which CGL carriers routinely issued occurrence-based policies covering pollution liabilities without exclusion. The documented remediation costs at this site — addressing petroleum contamination across groundwater, surface water, and sediment — represent expenditures that historical carriers from that pre-1986 window 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.