This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1938. 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 petroleum hydrocarbon and lead contamination at this site traces directly to service station operations that began in 1938 and ran through at least 1966 — a span entirely predating the 1986 threshold after which occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies began carrying effective pollution exclusions. The documented remediation record — three UST removals, excavation of nearly 1,800 tons of impacted soil including dangerous-waste-classified lead, groundwater recovery, vapor barrier installation, and continuing quarterly monitoring — reflects substantial incurred and ongoing costs tied to those decades of pre-1986 operations. Historical CGL carriers who issued policies during the station's operational window may bear liability for both past expenditures and the monitoring costs that persist today.

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.