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 petroleum contamination at this property traces to underground storage tanks installed and operated before their eventual removal, with the facility's history placing those operations prior to 1986 — when occurrence-based CGL policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Confirmed diesel and petroleum contamination persisting above regulatory levels in soil and groundwater means cleanup costs have already been incurred and further remediation lies ahead. Historical carriers who insured the facility during the tanks' pre-1986 operational window may be obligated both to recover past expenditures and to fund the work still to come.

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.