This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1916. 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 storage and distribution operations at this property began in 1916 — seven decades before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. A 2000 age-dating analysis placed gasoline releases more than 15 years prior to that report, directly tying them to the pre-1986 operational period, and lead detected in groundwater confirms the use of leaded gasoline before its phase-out. The documented remediation expenditures — soil excavation, thermal treatment, groundwater recovery, and years of monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers whose policies covered operations during that window may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.