This property has a documented history as a farm and agricultural operation going back to 1936. 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.

Agricultural and nursery operations at this property spanned from at least 1936 through 1991, with underground storage tanks for gasoline and diesel in use well before 1986 — the year occurrence-based CGL policies stopped reliably covering pollution claims. The contamination now documented in groundwater and air is directly tied to those decades of pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during that window may be obligated both to recover remediation costs already incurred and to fund the cleanup work still ahead.

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.