This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility predating 1986. 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.

The original underground storage tanks at this maintenance facility were likely installed before 1982, placing them within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. By 1989, Ecology had already documented petroleum and benzene contamination in soil and groundwater traceable to those operations. The remediation costs incurred since — investigation, monitoring, and ongoing cleanup — represent expenditures that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during that pre-1986 operational window 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.