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.

Petroleum contamination at this site — gasoline and diesel from bulk storage and distribution operations — originated from activities that predate 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The documented remediation costs to date — large-scale soil excavation, oxygen-releasing compound application, dewatering, and years of groundwater monitoring — represent substantial expenditures tied to those historical operations. With cleanup still underway and additional groundwater assessment required, the historical carriers who insured these operations may be obligated to fund both past and future remediation costs.

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.