This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1900. 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 fuel distribution at this property began in the early 1900s — many decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The contamination documented here has been tied directly to the historical operational period, not to any disqualifying recent incident, establishing a clear causal link between pre-1986 activity and the remediation costs the property now faces. Engineered containment is not cleanup; with the site still awaiting active remediation under the Standard Cleanup program, historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the bulk plant's long operational window may be obligated to fund those future costs.

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.