This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1942. 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.

Bulk petroleum storage operations at this fuel farm began no later than 1942 — more than four decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. Confirmed spill events in 1955 and 1973 fall directly within the era when those historical policies were in force and obligated to respond to pollution releases. The ongoing remediation costs here — tank removals, soil excavation, product recovery, and decades of groundwater monitoring — are tied to releases that pre-1986 carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund as cleanup continues.

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.