This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1969. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property has operated as a Chevron service station since approximately 1969, with five steel underground storage tanks for fuel dispensing along with heating oil and used-oil tanks supporting vehicle service operations. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program has included UST closure and removal, groundwater monitoring and purging from at least 1991 through 1993, and planning for secondary vapor recovery. Although soil contamination received a no-further-action determination in 1995, the site remained in active cleanup status through at least 2009, and the station continues to operate today. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 — TPH-gasoline and BTEX from leaking underground storage tanks — traces back to fueling operations that began nearly two decades before 1986. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the station's operators during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law and remain enforceable. The documented remediation expenditures — tank removals, groundwater recovery, and years of monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated to reimburse, with ongoing cleanup obligations they may still be required to fund.
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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.