This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1976. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property was developed as a retail gasoline service station in 1976, with underground storage tanks installed in March 1977 to service two pump islands. Cleanup activities have included excavation and off-site disposal of 80 cubic yards of hydrocarbon-affected soil in 1993, removal and replacement of three USTs in 2012 with disposal of 1,300 gallons of product and rinsate, installation of monitoring wells, and quarterly groundwater monitoring over multiple years. The station continues to operate as a retail fuel facility under the Voluntary Cleanup Program. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 directly to underground storage tanks installed in 1977 — nearly a decade before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies ceased to reliably cover pollution claims. The detection of lead in gasoline-range soil further confirms that the contamination originated during the era of leaded fuel, squarely within the pre-1986 policy window. Documented remediation costs spanning two decades — soil excavation, tank removal, groundwater monitoring — represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund as cleanup 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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
