This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.

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 underground storage tanks at this facility were in place well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Petroleum contamination from diesel, road tar, and bunker oil storage required more than two decades of remediation effort — tank removals, soil excavation, and groundwater cleanup to regulatory standards. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the years those tanks were actively storing and dispensing petroleum products may still be obligated to recover the cleanup costs incurred across that extended remediation timeline.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.