This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1920. 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 originated from underground storage tanks installed and operated over six decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Documented remediation costs — including the $67,194 UST closure in 1991, large-scale soil excavations, and ongoing groundwater treatment — represent expenditures that historical carriers who insured ARCO or prior operators during that pre-1986 window may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund as bioremediation work continues.

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.