This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. 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.

LNAPL was detected at this property as early as 1991, and a leaking underground storage tank notification was filed in 1992 — both pointing to releases from fueling operations that predate 1986, the cutoff year for occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation record — UST removal, soil excavation, a groundwater recovery system, vapor extraction of 1,600 pounds of hydrocarbons, and multi-year pilot testing — represents a substantial cost trail tied directly to those pre-1986 operational releases. Because cleanup is still in active evaluation with additional remediation phases anticipated, historical carriers whose CGL policies covered this fueling station before 1986 may bear obligations for both incurred and future remediation expenditures.

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.