This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1928. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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.

Bulk fuel handling and waste-oil reprocessing at this property began nearly six decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. PCE detected in groundwater and lead identified in historical soil samples — the latter consistent with decades of leaded-gasoline storage prior to its phase-out — trace directly to those long-running pre-1986 operations. The documented remediation expenditures under the Voluntary Cleanup Program, including tank removal, multi-year groundwater monitoring, and ongoing site management, represent costs that historical carriers whose policies were in force during that operational window may be obligated both to recover 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.