This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1970. 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 site traces to underground storage tanks installed and operated starting in 1970 — sixteen years before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with effective pollution exclusions. The documented remediation expenditures here, including well installation, more than a decade of quarterly groundwater monitoring, and repeated chemical oxidation treatments, represent costs tied directly to releases from those pre-1986 fueling operations. Historical carriers who wrote CGL policies covering this property during that window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund the remediation still underway.

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.