This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. 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.

Union Pacific's railroad transload operations at this Tacoma industrial site were established decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and contained no effective pollution exclusion. The petroleum releases documented at this facility arose from the type of long-running industrial operations those policies were designed to cover. With soil already remediated and groundwater investigation still ahead, the cleanup costs incurred and yet to come may be recoverable from historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during the facility's pre-1986 operational years.

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.