This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1965. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property was constructed as a service station in 1965 and operated as the Desimone Chevron (also known as Desimone 76 Chevron), dispensing fuel from underground storage tanks and serving as a convenience store. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program has included the removal of four underground storage tanks totaling 26,500 gallons, excavation of approximately 300 cubic yards of petroleum-impacted soil, operation of a soil vapor extraction system in the early 1990s, and installation of five new groundwater monitoring wells with quarterly monitoring ongoing since 2010. An on-site oil-water separator remains part of the remediation infrastructure, and cleanup work is continuing. 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 contamination at this property traces to underground storage tanks installed and operated beginning in 1965 — more than two decades before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The documented remediation costs here are substantial: tank removals, large-scale soil excavation, vapor extraction, well installation, and years of groundwater monitoring — with additional work still ahead. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies covering this station during its pre-1986 operational window may be obligated to reimburse costs already incurred and to fund the cleanup activities that remain.
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.
