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.

Petroleum contamination at this site traces to bulk plant operations and underground storage tanks that were installed and operated for a quarter century before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The presence of leaded gasoline — confirmed by Total Lead analysis of a 1950-era tank — and decades of diesel storage represent the kind of long-duration releases these policies were written to cover. Documented remediation costs to date — tank removals, groundwater treatment, long-term monitoring — along with the soil removal still ahead, represent expenditures that historical 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.