This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1956. 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 originated from underground storage tanks that were installed and operated beginning in 1956 — three decades before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. The documented remediation expenditures — tank removal, soil excavation, hazard assessment, and continued regulatory oversight — trace directly to releases from those pre-1986 fueling operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the 1956–1982 Texaco era and the subsequent operating period may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund 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.