This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal predating 1986. 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 hydrocarbon contamination documented across both parcels traces directly to bulk terminal operations — tank storage and fuel dispensing — that were active well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies routinely lacked effective pollution exclusions. The remediation record here is substantial: more than 4,000 tons of impacted soil removed across two properties, 50,000 gallons of contaminated groundwater extracted, and over a decade of monitored natural attenuation that continues to accrue costs. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Chevron, Standard Oil, or their successor operators during the pre-1986 operational period may be obligated to recover those past expenditures and to fund the groundwater remediation that remains 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.