This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1966. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property operated as Gull Station No. 219, a fuel service station in Seattle equipped with four underground storage tanks — two unleaded gasoline tanks (8,000- and 10,000-gallon), one 5,000-gallon premium gasoline tank, and a 1,000-gallon waste oil tank. All four USTs were removed in June 1991, and cleanup has included excavation of 450 cubic yards of contaminated soil, operation of a groundwater treatment system and soil vapor extraction system from late 1991 through July 1993 treating approximately 5,600 gallons of groundwater, on-site bioremediation of 350 cubic yards of gasoline-impacted soil, and off-site disposal of 100 cubic yards of waste oil-impacted soil. Cleanup work is ongoing under a standard cleanup program. 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 originated from underground storage tanks estimated to have been installed around 1966 — two decades before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The documented remediation expenditures here — tank removal, large-scale soil excavation, groundwater treatment, vapor extraction, and bioremediation — represent costs tied directly to releases from those pre-1986 fueling operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the station's operating years may be obligated both to reimburse cleanup costs already incurred and to fund the remediation work that remains.
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.