This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal predating 1986. 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 bulk storage at this Bellingham property predates 1986, placing the origin of contamination squarely within the era when occurrence-based CGL policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The remediation costs documented here — the 1999 independent remedial action, the designation of restricted zones where excavation proved cost-prohibitive, and the open-ended monitoring and maintenance obligations enforced by the restrictive covenant — represent both past expenditures and continuing liabilities that historical carriers who covered McEvoy Texaco's bulk-plant operations may be obligated to fund.

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.