This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1920. 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 site traces to bulk storage and dispensing infrastructure that was in continuous use for more than six decades before 1986 — the year occurrence-based CGL policies effectively stopped covering pollution claims in Washington. The remediation expenditures documented here — tank removals, soil excavation, groundwater treatment, vapor extraction, air sparging, and long-term monitoring — represent costs tied directly to releases from those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the site's lengthy operational window may be obligated both to reimburse past cleanup costs and to fund the remediation work that remains 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.