This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1883. 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.

Railroad operations at this corridor began in 1883 and continued under successive operators — Northern Pacific Railway and Burlington Northern — for more than a century before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation costs here — site investigation, groundwater monitoring, and cleanup actions spanning decades after the 1993 diesel fuel release — represent expenditures tied to a corridor whose operators held pre-1986 CGL policies throughout that long operational window. Historical carriers who insured those railroad operations may still bear obligations for the ongoing cleanup at this site.

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.