This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1964. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This property operated as a filling station owned by Standard Oil Company from 1964 to 1971, with underground storage tanks used to dispense gasoline. The site was later cleared of all buildings, but two underground storage tanks and connecting pipes remain buried on the property. Contamination from the old tanks was discovered in 1995, and the site is currently awaiting cleanup under Ecology's 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.
Gasoline contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks installed and operated entirely within the pre-1986 window, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The slow release from tanks buried since the 1960s is precisely the kind of long-tail environmental liability those policies were designed to cover. As cleanup costs are incurred — investigation, tank removal, soil and groundwater remediation — historical carriers who insured the filling station during its 1964–1971 operational period may be obligated to fund the work.
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
Ready to learn more?
Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.