This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1940. 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.

Fircrest School's institutional operations began in the 1940s — more than four decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims. The facility's continuous use across multiple functions — hospital laundry, machine shop, residential care — through the pre-1986 era means CGL policies were likely in effect throughout decades of operations at this property. With confirmed PCB and petroleum contamination in groundwater and remediation now underway, the cleanup costs being incurred may be recoverable under those historical policies.

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.