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.

Petroleum contamination at this property originates from bulk fuel storage and distribution operations that began roughly six decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Standard Oil and Chevron operated this terminal for more than half a century, and the documented remediation costs — multi-phase soil excavation, extended groundwater treatment programs, and ongoing five-year review monitoring — trace directly to that operational history. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the decades of active terminal operations may still be obligated to recover the cleanup expenditures already incurred.

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.