This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1946. 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 Chevron tank farm distributed bulk petroleum products — including leaded fuel, whose residue was detected at the site — from prior to 1946 through the mid-1980s, a span of operations entirely within the window when occurrence-based CGL policies were the commercial standard. Contamination discovered at decommissioning reflects releases that accumulated over those pre-1986 operating decades, not a single later event. The documented remediation expenditures at this site — nearly $1 million for the 2009 Interim Action alone, plus years of prior vapor extraction and continuing groundwater monitoring — represent costs directly traceable to that pre-1986 release window, during which historical carriers' policies were in force.

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.