This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1931. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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.

Bulk petroleum storage and distribution at this property ran from at least 1931 through the early 1960s — entirely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The free-product diesel detected on site was released before 1988, directly implicating the operational window when those policies were in force. Investigation and remediation costs that lie ahead for this inactive tank farm could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose CGL policies covered the tenants or operators during those decades of fuel-handling activity.

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.