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

Petroleum contamination at this property originated from a previous generation of underground storage tanks installed in 1960 — twenty-six years before occurrence-based CGL policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims. The documented remediation expenditures — two rounds of tank removal, large-scale soil excavation, and over three decades of groundwater monitoring — were incurred to address releases directly tied to those pre-1986 operations. Because cleanup is still underway, historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the 1960-through-1986 operational window may be obligated both to reimburse past costs and to fund remaining remediation.

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.