This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property operated as a retail fuel facility under two successive configurations — a Texaco fuel station in Area 1 and an Arco retail fuel sales pump island with underground storage tanks in Area 2 — with a lumberyard also among its historic uses. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program has included soil and debris excavation across three impacted areas, with 110 tons of contaminated material removed from Area 1 alone, and the site continues to undergo remediation with quarterly groundwater sampling through purged monitoring wells. The property remains an active retail fuel service station and convenience store. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 petroleum contamination documented at this site originated from the historic Texaco fuel station and Arco pump island operations — both tied to underground storage tanks that predate 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The multi-area soil excavations and ongoing groundwater monitoring program represent cleanup expenditures linked directly to those pre-1986 fuel-dispensing operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during that operational window may be obligated to recover those past costs and to fund the active remediation that continues today.
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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
