This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1966. 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.

The seven underground storage tanks removed from this property in 1991 were likely installed around 1966, placing Cenex's bulk fuel operations squarely within the era when occurrence-based CGL policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law. Decades of gasoline, diesel, and heavy oil storage at this single facility produced contamination requiring 1,300 cubic yards of soil removal, well installation, and more than thirty years of regulatory oversight — costs that trace directly to releases from those pre-1986 tanks. Historical carriers who covered Cenex's bulk plant operations during the years those tanks were in service may still be obligated to fund both past and continuing remediation expenditures.

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.