This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1955. 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.

Contamination at this site — PCBs from hydraulic oil, petroleum hydrocarbons, and heavy metals — traces directly to compressor station and LNG plant operations that began in 1955 and ran continuously through the pre-1986 era. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the facility's operators during those decades carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law. The remediation costs being incurred to address confirmed groundwater contamination — and those still ahead — represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.