This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1950. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This Bremerton property was formerly operated as a bulk fuel storage facility by Peninsula Fuels, with five aboveground storage tanks confirmed through review of historical aerial photography, and a Shell Gasoline Station operated at the site from 1950 to 1960. Motor oil and diesel contamination has been detected in groundwater underlying the property as a result of those historical petroleum operations. Cleanup activities began in 1997–1998 with the removal of two underground storage tanks and associated contaminated soil and groundwater, and remediation has continued through the SR304 Transportation Improvement Project, which involves excavation of contaminated soil during demolition and grading and the placement of an engineered cap — a new asphalt roadway — over affected areas. A dig permit institutional control applies to an adjacent area, and cleanup work remains ongoing. 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.
Bulk fuel storage at this property under Peninsula Fuels, and gasoline station operations dating to at least 1950, placed this site's contaminating activities squarely in the decades when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The diesel and motor oil found in groundwater here is the product of those pre-1986 bulk-fuel operations — a slow, subsurface release of the precise type those policies were designed to cover. Documented remediation costs spanning tank removals, soil excavation, highway-scale engineered controls, and institutional restrictions represent expenditures the historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Peninsula Fuels during its operational window may be obligated both to recover and to fund as cleanup continues.
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.
