This property has a documented history as a public works and maintenance facility going back to 1960. 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.

Diesel contamination at this site originated from an underground storage tank installed in 1964 and operated continuously for nearly three decades before its 1992 removal — well within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation expenditures, from soil excavation and onsite treatment to long-term engineered controls, represent costs tied directly to that pre-1986 operational period. Historical carriers who provided CGL coverage during the terminal's early decades of diesel fueling operations may be obligated both to reimburse past cleanup costs and to fund the remediation 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.