This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance 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.

The three abandoned USTs found along SR 202 suggest a former fueling facility that may have operated well before 1986, but no installation dates or operator records have been located to confirm that timeline — the pre-1986 connection rests on the circumstantial 25-year tank lifecycle estimate. Complicating the picture further, the separate 2006 transformer-oil release at Bridge 47A represents a distinct, recent contamination event at the same site. These dual contamination sources — one potentially decades-old, the other definitively tied to 2006 construction activities — make the historical insurance landscape for this property complex and warrant careful investigation of any CGL policies that may have been in force during the USTs' operating life.

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.