This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1912. 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.

The chlorinated-solvent contamination at this site — vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene, and tetrachloroethylene — traces to auto service and parts-cleaning operations that ran for several decades before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies still lacked effective pollution exclusions. Carriers who issued policies to operators of the adjacent service station during its 1951–1989 run may carry liability for the contamination that has since migrated onto this parcel. The documented cost trail — UST removals, soil remediation, years of groundwater monitoring, and an open Voluntary Cleanup Program investigation — represents expenditures tied directly to those pre-1986 operations that historical insurers 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.