This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1955. 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.

Gasoline contamination at this property originated from underground storage tanks installed and operated during a Shell station era that began in 1955 — more than three decades before occurrence-based CGL policies were displaced by claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. Documented remediation expenditures already total an estimated $1,669,300, covering soil excavation, pump-and-treat operations, vapor extraction, and long-term monitoring — costs tied directly to releases from those pre-1986 fueling operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the Shell or Budget operators during the 1955–1983 window may still be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund the monitoring that remains ahead.

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.