This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1925. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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.

Fife School District #417 has operated this property continuously since 1925 — more than six decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard. Policies issued to the district during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law and remain enforceable today. The cleanup costs now being incurred at this site — site investigation, groundwater monitoring, and remediation of the mineral oil release — represent expenditures that those historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.