This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1924. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This property operated as an automotive storage garage with two gasoline fuel-dispensing pumps from at least 1924, when the facility was first developed. The underground storage tanks were removed in 1978 and the garage itself was demolished in 1979, ending active fueling operations. A Phase I ESA identified the historical gasoline fueling station and associated petroleum storage as a recognized environmental condition; a subsequent Phase II ESA has been completed, and the site is now awaiting further cleanup actions. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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.
Gasoline dispensing and storage at this property began in 1924 — more than six decades before the 1986 industry shift away from occurrence-based CGL policies without effective pollution exclusions. Lead contamination at the site is directly tied to the long-term use of leaded gasoline at those historical pumps, a release type squarely within the coverage that pre-1986 occurrence-based policies were written to address. The remediation costs ahead — investigation, remedial design, and active cleanup — could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose policies were in force during the decades-long fueling operation.
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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
Ready to learn more?
Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
