This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1965. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property has operated as a gasoline service station since at least the mid-1960s, with an 8,000-gallon underground storage tank reportedly abandoned in place during that decade and three USTs ultimately removed between 1993 and 1995. Cleanup under the Standard Cleanup program has included excavation of approximately 300 cubic yards of contaminated soil, thin-spread bioremediation, and operation of a dual-phase extraction system — soil vapor extraction combined with groundwater extraction and air sparging — from 1995 through at least late 2000, recovering over 4.4 million gallons of water and removing more than 4,200 pounds of contaminants. The property continues to operate as a Brown Bear/Chevron gas station and car wash, and cleanup work is 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.
Gasoline contamination at this site traces to underground storage tanks installed and operated decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The scale of documented remediation — tank removals, large-volume soil excavation, years of dual-phase extraction, and continuing monitoring — represents substantial expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated to recover, with additional cleanup costs still ahead. CGL policies issued to the operators during the pre-1986 window when these tanks were in active service remain a plausible source of both reimbursement and forward funding.
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.
