This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1941. 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 originated from underground storage tanks that were installed and operated for decades before 1986 — some containing leaded gasoline, a definitive pre-1986 indicator. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the operators during that window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law and remain enforceable today. The documented remediation expenditures — tank removal, soil excavation, biological treatment, off-site disposal, and over fifteen years of groundwater monitoring — represent costs the historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund as cleanup continues.

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.