This property has a documented history as a automobile dealership predating 1986. 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 Nalley pickling plant's long industrial tenure at this location places the facility squarely within the pre-1986 era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Decades of food-processing operations at the site preceded the 1986 policy shift, meaning historical carriers who insured those operations may hold obligations that extend to the property's current contamination liabilities. With cleanup costs mounting — soil remediation in a sensitive groundwater recharge area protecting Tacoma's drinking water supply — those pre-1986 CGL policies represent a potentially significant funding source for the ongoing remediation.

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.