This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1962. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this property originated from underground storage tanks installed and operated continuously from 1962 — more than two decades before occurrence-based CGL policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims in 1986. The documented remediation expenditures here — large-scale soil excavation, nearly two decades of groundwater monitoring, well decommissioning — were incurred to address releases tied directly to those pre-1986 fueling operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the operator during that 1962–1986 window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund remediation still ahead.

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.