This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1957. 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 gasoline-range contamination at this property traces directly to ARCO's service station operations, which began in 1957 and ran for nearly two decades before the 1986 CGL policy transition — the period when occurrence-based policies still lacked effective pollution exclusions in Washington. A 2010 investigation report characterized the release as an "older release" occurring more than 30 years prior, confirming the contamination's pre-1986 origin and tying it unambiguously to those historical operations. Atlantic Richfield Company's historical carriers who issued CGL coverage during that operational window may bear obligations to recover past remediation expenditures and to fund any remaining cleanup work this Voluntary Cleanup Program site requires.

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.