This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1914. 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 property date to 1914 — more than seven decades before 1986, the year occurrence-based CGL policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims in Washington. The contamination discovered here, originating from decades of shop wastes, electrical equipment, and fuel-related activities, is characteristic of the gradual, long-tail releases those pre-1986 policies were written to cover. Remediation expenditures spanning from 1982 through 2006 — large-scale excavation, tank removal, soil treatment, and ongoing monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers who issued policies during that operational window may still be obligated to fund.

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.