This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1976. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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.

This station was developed and fueling the public by 1976, with UST infrastructure in place by 1982 — a full decade before the 1986 industry shift away from occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion. The petroleum contamination found in soil and groundwater here is attributed directly to those historical UST systems and the operations they supported. Remediation expenditures — the original tank removals, the active site investigation, and an expanding groundwater monitoring program — represent costs that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the pre-1986 operational window 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.