This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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 gasoline and diesel contamination at this property traces directly to Shell service station operations that ran through the 1970s — a period squarely within the era of occurrence-based CGL policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion. Carriers that issued policies to the Shell station operator during that pre-1986 window may retain obligations tied to contamination that originated during those operations. The documented remediation record — tank closures dating to 1988, UST removals in 2017, continuing soil assessment, and projected future excavation costs of up to $75,000 — represents expenditures potentially recoverable from those historical policies.

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.