This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1970. 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 six underground storage tanks removed from this property in 1995 are estimated to have been installed around 1970 based on standard tank lifecycle assumptions, placing their operational origin well before 1986. Occurrence-based CGL policies in effect during those pre-1986 years of fuel dispensing carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law. The documented remediation expenditures here — UST removal, multiple rounds of soil excavation, resurfacing of the majority of the property, and nearly two decades of assessment — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated to reimburse and to continue funding as cleanup proceeds.

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.