This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1952. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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.

Petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents at this property are explicitly tied to historical equipment repair and industrial maintenance activities that began at the facility in 1952 and continued through multiple tenants well into the 1980s. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the operators of this tractor and equipment shop during the pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion and remain potentially enforceable under Washington law. With investigation complete but active cleanup still ahead, the remediation costs this property faces — site design, soil and groundwater treatment, long-term monitoring — could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose policies were in force when the contamination first occurred.

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.