This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance 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 contamination here is tied to the ongoing operation of SR 108 itself — specifically, recurring vehicular discharges and highway runoff rather than a single discrete release event. Whether pre-1986 occurrence-based CGL policies are accessible at this site depends on establishing when SR 108 was in regular operation, a question the available site documents leave unresolved. If highway operations predated 1986, carriers who issued CGL policies during that window may have obligations under the occurrence-based coverage that was standard before effective pollution exclusions were introduced — making that historical record worth investigating before the remediation cost trail is closed.

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.