This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1965. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property operated as a Texaco service station from 1965 to 1980, dispensing gasoline via underground storage tanks before transitioning to its current use as an automotive repair shop. In 1996, one 500-gallon UST was removed along with 51.54 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil, which was thermally treated; the excavation was lined, backfilled, and tank residuals disposed of. Subsequent investigations in 2009 and 2012 confirmed residual contamination still exceeding cleanup standards, and remediation remains ongoing. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 has been characterized as very aged and weathered, consistent with releases from the Texaco station that operated here from 1965 through 1980 — entirely within the era of occurrence-based CGL policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion. The UST removed in 1996 was likely installed around 1971, placing both its installation and the contamination it caused squarely within that pre-1986 window. With cleanup costs already documented and further investigation and remediation still required, historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the Texaco operation during that period may bear ongoing financial obligations for this site.
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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
