This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1947. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property was constructed in 1947 as a gasoline service station and operated underground storage tanks dispensing fuel until their decommissioning in December 1998; the site currently operates as a grocery store (Lincoln Park Grocery). A second contamination source is present: the Shade Tree Mechanics automotive repair shop, constructed by 1976, introduced tetrachloroethylene (PCE) contamination to the property. Past cleanup work has included soil excavation and UST removal; the site is now in an active remedial planning phase evaluating additional alternatives including further soil excavation, soil vapor extraction, air stripping, sub-slab depressurization, contamination caps, and environmental covenants. 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.
Both contamination sources at this property — petroleum hydrocarbons from UST operations dating to 1947 and chlorinated solvent releases from automotive repair activity established by 1976 — originated well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. Historical carriers who insured either operation during that pre-1986 window may remain obligated for cleanup expenditures already incurred and for the remediation costs the ongoing alternatives evaluation is now scoping. The combination of two distinct pre-1986 pollution sources and a multi-phase remediation record strengthens the basis for pursuing 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.
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.
