This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1971. 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.

Gasoline storage and dispensing operations at this site began in 1971 — fifteen years before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The contamination discovered in 1994 was a historical release from tanks installed during that pre-1986 window, not a recent accident. Documented remediation expenditures spanning three decades — soil excavation, groundwater recovery, pilot treatment systems, bioremediation, and long-term monitoring — represent costs that historical CGL carriers who covered the station during those early operational years may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund going forward.

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.