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.
This property operated as a petroleum storage and distribution terminal under two successive designations — Standard Oil Bulk Plant No. 1001152 and Chevron Bulk Plant Facility No. 352300 — on State Route 274 in Tekoa, Washington. The site is enrolled in Washington's Voluntary Cleanup Program with cleanup underway, and multi-year groundwater monitoring has been ongoing; a fourth-quarter 2013 sampling event documented purging and sampling from multiple monitoring wells with specific volumes recorded at each. Both petroleum hydrocarbons and elevated total lead concentrations have been detected in groundwater, consistent with the historical bulk storage and dispensing of leaded gasoline at the terminal. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 contamination signature at this former Standard Oil bulk plant — petroleum hydrocarbons combined with high lead concentrations characteristic of leaded gasoline — is tied directly to operations that predate 1986, the year leaded gasoline was effectively phased out of commercial use. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the Standard Oil or Chevron entities running this terminal during that pre-1986 window contained no effective pollution exclusion and remain enforceable today. The documented groundwater monitoring program and any forward remediation expenditures under the Voluntary Cleanup Program represent costs that those historical carriers may be obligated to fund.
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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
Ready to learn more?
Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
