This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1953. 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.

Petroleum contamination and foundry waste at this site originated from timber-processing and fuel-storage operations that began in 1953, more than three decades before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. The documented remediation expenditures — soil excavation, waste removal, multi-year groundwater monitoring, and the administrative costs of securing institutional controls — were incurred to address releases tied directly to those pre-1986 industrial operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the operators during that window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund ongoing obligations arising from the site's residual contamination.

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.