This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1961. 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.

Underground storage tanks at this facility were installed as early as 1961 and operated through the mid-1980s — squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies covered pollution events without effective exclusion. The diesel contamination now requiring cleanup — free-phase petroleum in groundwater, migration to Olequa Creek, proximity to a wellhead protection zone — traces directly to releases from those pre-1986 fueling operations. Remediation costs already incurred and those still ahead may be recoverable from historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during the decades these tanks were in service.

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.