This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1914. 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 originated from bulk storage and distribution operations that ran for decades before 1986, the era when occurrence-based CGL policies had no effective pollution exclusion. Documented remediation costs already incurred — tank removals, excavation, and initial groundwater treatment — represent past expenditures for which historical carriers who issued policies to Standard Oil, Chevron, and their successors during the pre-1986 operating window may be obligated to reimburse. Those same carriers may also bear responsibility for the active granular activated carbon treatment and ongoing multi-year monitoring the site still requires.

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.