This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. 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 USTs at this site were constructed from single-walled steel without cathodic protection — a design type that was standard before federal regulations mandated upgrades in 1988 — and a 1997 tank tightness test confirms the gasoline tank was operational well into the post-1986 period, with installation dates almost certainly preceding it. Ecology characterizes the contamination as 'mature' or 'old spills' tied to historical fleet operations rather than any recent release, placing the origin squarely within the era when occurrence-based CGL policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation to date — UST removals, contaminated-soil excavation, pollution control infrastructure, and ongoing separation systems — represents costs that historical carriers who insured these fleet operations 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.