This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1974. 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 gasoline contamination here originates from underground storage tanks installed and operated from 1974 through 1987 — entirely within the window when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Although the release was not reported until 1996, the contamination traces directly to pre-1986 UST operations, which is the triggering event historical CGL carriers remain potentially obligated to address. The documented remediation expenditures at this site — UST removals, soil excavation and treatment, vapor extraction, and ongoing groundwater monitoring — represent costs the historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.