This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1950. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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 waste oil UST at this facility was installed in the 1950s — more than three decades before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies stopped reliably covering pollution claims in 1986. Petroleum contamination migrating from that tank into groundwater represents the type of long-duration release those pre-1986 policies were designed to address. Documented and ongoing remediation costs at this site — from tank removal and site assessment through groundwater cleanup — could be recoverable from historical carriers whose policies were in force during the decades the UST was in operation.

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.