This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1977. 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.

Commercial operations at this property began nine years before 1986, and the detection of total and dissolved lead alongside gasoline-range hydrocarbons in groundwater is consistent with the historical use of leaded gasoline — a product largely phased out before 1986. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the operators during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law and remain enforceable today. The documented remediation expenditures — soil removal, well installation, and over a decade of groundwater monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated both to reimburse and to continue funding as cleanup progresses.

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.