This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.

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 PCB-containing equipment at this property was manufactured and installed before the 1979 federal ban, placing its operational use firmly within the pre-1986 era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The contamination requiring remediation — PCBs in soil and groundwater — traces directly to that pre-1979 equipment. Historical CGL carriers whose policies were in effect during the years that equipment operated may be obligated to cover the cleanup costs incurred to bring the site to its No Further Action status.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.