This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1950. 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 property traces directly to underground storage tank operations that ran for more than three decades before 1986 — the last period in which occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were written without an effective pollution exclusion. Four USTs storing gasoline and waste oil, operating across multiple successive operators from the Korean War era through the early Reagan administration, represent a substantial and well-documented pre-1986 contamination source. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Shell Oil Co. or its successor operators during that window may be obligated to fund the ongoing Standard Cleanup costs now accruing at this site.

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.