This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1948. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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 property's substation operations began in 1948 — 38 years before the 1986 shift away from occurrence-based CGL policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion. While the site's PCB contamination has been attributed to a 2011 vandalism incident rather than routine operations, lead detected in groundwater at a property with nearly four decades of pre-1986 electrical infrastructure use may reflect releases tied to that earlier operational window. To the extent any contamination at the site originated during the pre-1986 period, historical carriers whose policies covered the substation's operations could bear obligation toward the cleanup costs this property now faces.

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.