This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1954. 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 contamination here — highly weathered gasoline-range hydrocarbons and lead traced directly to underground storage tanks — originated from a Union Oil station that operated for over two decades before 1975, well before 1986 and the era of effective pollution exclusions in Commercial General Liability policies. The documented cost trail spans soil excavation, wastewater disposal, years of groundwater monitoring, and a planned in-situ injection program, all attributable to releases from those pre-1986 operations. Historical CGL carriers whose policies were in force during the 1954–1975 operational window may be obligated both to recover costs already incurred and to fund the remediation work still underway.

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.