This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal 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.

Aviation fuel storage and distribution at this property began in 1950 — more than three decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The contamination plume has been explicitly traced to the former Shell and Union Oil UST installations, confirming that the release originated from pre-1986 operations rather than any recent incident. Shell Oil, Union Oil, and the property owner each may have held CGL policies during those decades-long operational windows that remain enforceable today against the documented costs of excavation, groundwater recovery, vapor extraction, and the remediation work still underway.

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.