This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1966. 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.

The bulk fuel storage operations at Paine Field — jet fuel and leaded aviation gasoline held in military-scale underground tanks — are estimated to date to the mid-1960s, placing the contamination sources squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented need for lead analysis in soil sampling confirms that Avgas operations were well underway before the widespread phase-out of leaded aviation fuels and before the 1986 shift in CGL policy language. Historical carriers whose policies covered this facility during that operational window may remain obligated to fund the site's ongoing remediation costs.

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.