This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1929. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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 and lead at this site trace directly to service station operations that began in 1929, more than five decades before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The detection of lead in soil and groundwater independently confirms the pre-1986 operational origin, as leaded gasoline was phased out before that year. With site investigation ongoing and full remediation yet to begin, the delineation, cleanup design, and eventual remediation costs ahead represent expenditures that historical carriers whose policies were in effect during those decades of fuel dispensing 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.