This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1942. 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 jet fuel storage and distribution at this installation dates to 1942 — more than four decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The releases documented here stem from operational fuel handling that spanned the entire pre-1986 CGL era, the type of slow, continuous contamination those policies were written to address. The remediation program's scope — multiple treatment technologies, years of pilot testing, and sustained groundwater and soil monitoring — represents the kind of documented expenditure that historical carriers whose policies were in force during those operational decades may be obligated to fund.

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.