This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1973. 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 releases at this site originated from underground storage tanks likely installed decades before 1986, during the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Contamination was already present by 1993, tying the releases squarely to that pre-1986 operational window. The remediation costs incurred to date — tank removals, large-scale soil excavation, years of groundwater monitoring — and the significant cleanup work still ahead represent expenditures that historical CGL carriers may be obligated both to reimburse 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.