This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1967. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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 gasoline releases traced to this property began as early as 1983, originating from underground storage tanks that were installed and operating throughout the pre-1986 era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The 1967 tank installations and the 1983 documented release fall squarely within the window those policies covered, making historical carriers plausibly obligated both to recover past remediation expenditures — years of UST removals, dual-phase and vapor extraction, and long-term groundwater monitoring — and to fund the in-situ treatment and excavation work 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.