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

The petroleum contamination at this site traces to service station operations that were well established before 1986, with underground tanks removed by 1996 after decades of use. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the operators during the pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington and may still respond to the cleanup costs incurred here. With groundwater monitoring alone spanning more than two decades and remediation still underway, historical carriers could be obligated both to recover past expenditures and to fund the remaining cleanup.

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.