This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1934. 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 traces directly to gasoline service station operations that began in 1934 and continued for more than four decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies with no effective pollution exclusion were the industry standard. Carriers who issued CGL coverage to operators at this property during that pre-1986 window bear potential exposure for the documented remediation expenditures — tens of thousands of tons of soil excavation, eight UST removals, groundwater recovery, and an engineered barrier — and may be obligated both to recover those past costs and to fund the cleanup work that remains.

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.