This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1969. 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.

The petroleum contamination at this property traces directly to underground storage tanks that were installed and operated for roughly two decades before 1986, squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Documented remediation costs — tank removal, soil excavation and treatment, groundwater monitoring and aeration — were incurred to address releases from those pre-1986 operations. Because cleanup is ongoing, historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the tanks' operational window may be obligated both to recover past expenditures 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.