This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal predating 1986. 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-gasoline and benzene contamination at this site originated from bulk petroleum operations conducted during an era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies had no effective pollution exclusion. Signal Oil's pre-1986 bulk-plant activities are the documented source of the release that now drives mandatory cleanup obligations under MTCA. Historical carriers whose CGL policies covered Signal Oil's operations during that window remain plausible candidates to fund the remediation costs the current responsible parties face 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.