This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1960. 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.

Bulk fuel distribution and retail gasoline operations at this property began in the early 1960s — more than two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. The widespread petroleum contamination discovered here, reaching groundwater depth and spanning the bulk loading rack, above-ground tanks, and underground storage tanks, is the product of decades of fuel handling during that insured period. Historical carriers who wrote CGL policies covering this facility's operations may be obligated to reimburse remediation costs already incurred and to fund the cleanup work that remains ahead.

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.