This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations 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.

The gasoline contamination at this property originated from underground storage tanks associated with historical lumber and maritime operations that predate 1986, the threshold year for occurrence-based Commercial General Liability coverage without effective pollution exclusions. Ecology's own characterization — a historic release with no active discharges — confirms the contamination is tied to the pre-1986 operational period rather than any recent incident. The remediation costs now confronting this property — site investigation, evaluation of cleanup alternatives, and eventual remediation — represent expenditures that historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during those operations may be obligated to fund.

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.