This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1930. 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 petroleum and lead contamination at this property originates from gasoline service station operations that began in the 1930s — a generation before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies still lacked an effective pollution exclusion. The presence of lead reflects the leaded-gasoline era during which these stations were active, placing the contamination origin squarely within the pre-1986 policy window. The documented remediation trail — two rounds of UST removal, hundreds of tons of excavated soil, a recorded restrictive covenant, ongoing monitoring, and a further excavation phase still ahead — represents the kind of multi-decade cleanup liability that historical carriers 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.