This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1956. 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.

Bulk fuel storage and distribution at this site began before 1956 and continued for more than three decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still issued without an effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The petroleum contamination requiring cleanup — thousands of tons of impacted soil, tens of thousands of gallons of affected groundwater, and residual contamination still being managed today — traces directly to those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the facility's operating years may be obligated both to recover the remediation costs already incurred and to fund the ongoing monitoring and institutional controls 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.