This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1961. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
This property has operated as a Chevron-branded service station since at least 1961, with underground storage tanks dispensing gasoline at 485 East Main Street in Pullman. In 1991, eleven first-generation USTs were removed and an interceptor trench was installed; groundwater extraction and granular activated carbon treatment followed from 1991 through 1996. Annual groundwater purging and monitoring has continued from 1990 through at least 2024, and the site has received a No Further Action determination under the Voluntary Cleanup Program. The station remains in active commercial operation with three current USTs and two dispenser islands. 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.
Petroleum contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks installed and operated beginning in 1961 — a quarter-century before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. Historical groundwater monitoring consistently showed elevated lead concentrations indicative of leaded gasoline use, tying the release squarely to the pre-1986 operational window. More than three decades of documented remediation expenditures — tank removals, interceptor trench construction, groundwater extraction and treatment, and long-term monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during that era may still be obligated to recover.
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.
Recovering Costs from an Older Cleanup
If this site reached No Further Action years ago, the original cleanup expenditures may be difficult to reconstruct. Restorical's forensic accounting team specializes in re-establishing and documenting past cleanup costs — even decades later — to build the strongest possible basis for an insurance recovery claim.
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.