This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1972. 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 site originated from underground storage tanks installed in 1972 — fourteen years before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. Holes in those tanks caused soil and groundwater contamination over two decades of operation, precisely the kind of gradual, ongoing release that pre-1986 occurrence policies were written to cover. The documented remediation expenditures — tank removal, soil excavation, groundwater containment, bioremediation — represent costs the historical carriers who insured the trucking operation during that 1972–1986 window may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund as cleanup continues.

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.