This property has a documented history as a automobile dealership going back to 1960. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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 gasoline contamination beneath 4th Street traces directly to Ford dealership and auto service operations documented as active in the 1960s — more than two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were written without effective pollution exclusions. The documented remediation expenditures already incurred — 3,864 tons of impacted soil removed, four USTs extracted, and years of investigative assessment — are tied to releases originating in that pre-1986 operational window. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to those upslope dealerships during their operating years may hold obligations to fund the cleanup costs that remain.

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.