This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal predating 1986. 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.

The presence of leaded gasoline in the bulk plant's underground storage tanks confirms petroleum distribution operations well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still issued without an effective pollution exclusion. Contamination from decades of bulk fuel storage and handling at this site is precisely the kind of long-tail environmental release those pre-1986 policies were written to cover. The remediation costs already incurred and the tank-removal work still ahead represent expenditures that historical carriers on risk during the bulk plant's operating years may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund going forward.

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.