This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal predating 1986. 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 diesel contamination at this property stems from a bulk fuel storage tank that served railroad operations well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The tank had been abandoned in place long before its 1993 discovery, indicating a release history rooted in decades-old operations. Documented remediation expenditures — tank removal, extensive soil excavation and disposal, product recovery, and groundwater treatment — represent costs that historical carriers who insured the operators during the pre-1986 period may be obligated to reimburse 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.