This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal predating 1986. 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.

The petroleum release at this site originated from underground storage tanks serving a bulk plant and service station whose operations predated 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The scale of the operation — three 12,000-gallon USTs handling gasoline and diesel — and the documented release point to remediation obligations that historical carriers may be required to fund. With cleanup still in progress under the Voluntary Cleanup Program, both past expenditures and future remediation costs could fall within the coverage window of those pre-1986 policies.

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.