This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1925. 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 petroleum contamination at this site originated from five decades of bulk fuel storage and distribution operations — Shell Oil and Cummings Oil both held operational responsibility at this property during windows entirely predating 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation costs here — tank removals, soil excavation, wastewater and sludge extraction, and more than a decade of ongoing groundwater monitoring — were incurred to address releases tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the operators or site lessee during that window may still be obligated to fund both the costs already incurred and the monitoring expenditures continuing today.

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.