This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this property traces to two distinct pre-1986 operations — a Mobile service station that dispensed fuel to the public for years before its 1975 demolition, and fire-department tanks installed in 1978 — meaning any CGL policies in force for either operator during those specific windows would have been occurrence-based forms with no effective pollution exclusion. The remediation costs already incurred here, from deep soil excavation to tank removal to ongoing bioremediation, plus whatever further cleanup Ecology requires, represent expenditures those historical carriers 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.