This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1919. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this property traces to fuel-station operations that began in 1919 — more than six decades before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. The high lead concentrations found in site soils point specifically to the leaded-gasoline era, anchoring the contamination origin squarely within the pre-1986 policy window. Documented remediation expenditures spanning nearly a decade of tank removals, thousands of tons of soil excavation, and an ongoing voluntary cleanup represent costs that historical carriers who covered the ARCO station during those decades of operation 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.