This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station 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 three older USTs removed before the 1991 replacements confirm that petroleum operations at this property were underway well before 1986 — and the contamination discovered from the turbine leak in 1992 traces back to releases during that earlier operational period. The multi-year remediation costs already incurred here — nearly 1,500 tons of soil removal, tens of thousands of gallons of groundwater recovery, in-situ chemical treatment, and ongoing quarterly monitoring — represent exactly the kind of long-tail environmental expenditures that historical occurrence-based CGL carriers may be obligated to fund.

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.