This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1919. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations 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 at this property began decades before 1986, with underground storage tanks in place as early as 1919 and a confirmed release identified during UST removal in 1991. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the station's operators during that long pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law. The remediation costs already incurred — tank removals, soil excavation, reactive-barrier installation, ongoing monitoring — and future cleanup alternatives still under consideration represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover 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.