This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1968. 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 contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks installed and operated beginning in 1968 — nearly two decades before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The detection of lead in groundwater and waste oil confirms releases tied to the era of leaded gasoline, anchoring the contamination squarely in the pre-1986 policy window. Decades of documented remediation expenditures — tank removals, large-scale soil excavation, groundwater treatment, vapor extraction, and long-term monitoring — represent costs that historical CGL carriers may be obligated both to reimburse 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.