This property has a documented history as a farm and agricultural operation going back to 1947. 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 organochlorine pesticide contamination at this property originated entirely from crop dusting operations that ran for nearly three decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Farm Air or the property's operators during that window may be obligated to fund both the investigation costs already incurred and the physical remediation expenses that remain ahead — soil treatment, chemical disposal pit closure, and long-term monitoring. For a site where cleanup has started but the bulk of the work is still in front of the owner, accessing those historical policies could be material to completing remediation.

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.