This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1974. 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.

Wood-treating operations at this facility began in 1974 — more than a decade before the 1986 shift away from occurrence-based Commercial General Liability coverage. The contamination documented in groundwater and surface water — PAHs, phenolic compounds, metals priority pollutants, and solvents — traces directly to those pre-1986 industrial operations, and the remediation obligations formalized in a 2016 Consent Decree represent substantial cleanup expenditures. Historical CGL carriers who covered this facility during the 1974–1986 operational window may bear obligation for documented remediation costs and the ongoing monitoring program.

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.