This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1957. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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 originated from underground storage tanks installed in 1957 and 1974 — nearly three decades before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. Lead detected in groundwater monitoring wells as far back as 1991 points to releases of leaded gasoline during the pre-1986 operational window. The documented remediation expenditures — tank removals, large-scale soil excavation, years of groundwater recovery and monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during those early decades of operation may be obligated both 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.