This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1940. 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 retail fuel service station from the 1940s through the late 1980s, with underground storage tanks and dispenser islands serving as the primary fueling infrastructure. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program has included excavation of over 1,913 tons of contaminated soil, treatment of 48,000 gallons of groundwater, and operation of an Air Sparge/Soil Vapor Extraction system from 2016 to 2019 that removed 194 pounds of petroleum contamination. A 2022 Work Plan outlines planned in-situ treatment and continued groundwater and vapor monitoring; the property is now used for automobile sales. 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.
Petroleum releases at this site originated from underground storage tanks that were in service for roughly four decades before their 1988 decommissioning — squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The presence of lead in groundwater confirms leaded-gasoline-era operations, tying contamination directly to pre-1986 fueling activity. Documented remediation costs already span soil excavation, groundwater treatment, and years of vapor extraction, with additional in-situ treatment and long-term monitoring still ahead — expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund going forward.
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
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
