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 — 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 PAH and DNAPL contamination at this Superfund site originates from wood treating operations that used creosote across a period that almost certainly predated 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The documented remediation record — demolition, dredging, large-scale capping, and DNAPL recovery exceeding 1,400 gallons by 2017–2018 — traces directly to those pre-1986 industrial operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL coverage during the Wyckoff West facility's operational window may be obligated both to recover past remediation expenditures and to fund the continuing DNAPL recovery and long-term monitoring.

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.