This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1978. 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 contamination at this property originated from single-layer steel underground storage tanks installed no later than the late 1970s — well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The documented remediation expenditures — tank and piping removal, nearly 600 cubic yards of soil excavation and disposal, site restoration, and regulatory oversight spanning multiple years — are costs tied directly to releases from those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the station's operating window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund the remediation still 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.