This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1925. 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 contamination at this site traces directly to underground storage tank operations that began in 1925 and ran for more than two decades before ceasing in 1950 — well before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. Carriers who issued CGL policies to operators of this service station during that pre-1986 window may remain obligated for documented cleanup expenditures and any unresolved remediation obligations. The scale of what has already been incurred — four UST removals and disposal of over 10,000 tons of contaminated soil — illustrates the magnitude of costs those historical policies may be called upon to cover.

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.