This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. 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 contamination at this retail fueling station is serious enough to have required multi-year remediation under two separate state cleanup programs, with costs still accumulating. If the facility's gasoline dispensing operations were in place before 1986 — and the site's enrollment in long-term petroleum cleanup programs is consistent with legacy contamination from that era — occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the operators during that period may provide a basis for both recovering costs already spent and funding the remediation 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.