This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1955. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this station originated from underground storage tanks that were in service decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Three successive operators — Exxon, BP, and Tosco — held or were covered under CGL policies during the pre-1986 operational window, and the reopening of this site's cleanup status in 2015 confirms that the environmental liability first triggered by those earlier operations is still accruing costs. Historical carriers who insured the station during that period may be obligated both to reimburse remediation expenditures already incurred and to fund the cleanup work that remains ahead.

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.