This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1930. 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.

Lead contamination at this property originated from battery manufacturing operations that began in the early 1930s — more than five decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims. The documented metals contamination in both groundwater and surface water traces directly to those pre-1986 industrial operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the decades of battery manufacturing and subsequent property ownership may be obligated to fund both past remediation expenditures and the cleanup costs still 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.