This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1959. 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.

Fertilizer production and fuel storage at this property began in 1959 — more than a quarter century before occurrence-based CGL policies stopped reliably covering pollution claims in 1986. The nitrate, petroleum, and lead contamination now confirmed in groundwater traces directly to those decades of pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the 1959–1986 operational window may be obligated to reimburse remediation costs already incurred and to fund the cleanup work that remains 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.