This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1903. 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.

Industrial operations at this site date to 1903 and continued through decades of wood milling, laminating, and solvent use well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and contained no effective pollution exclusion. The chlorinated solvent contamination confirmed in groundwater — including trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane at concentrations exceeding state cleanup standards — traces directly to those pre-1986 industrial operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during that operational window may be obligated to recover past remediation expenditures and to fund the cleanup work that remains 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.