This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1961. 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.

Bulk fueling operations at this property began in 1961 — twenty-five years before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies stopped reliably covering pollution claims in 1986. The petroleum contamination documented here is the product of long-term industrial fueling activity conducted squarely within that pre-1986 policy window. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the site's operators during those decades may be obligated to reimburse past remediation expenditures and to fund the cleanup work that remains ahead.

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.