This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station 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.

The gasoline UST at this property was installed no later than 1977, and the presence of leaded gasoline residues in surrounding soil confirms that fuel dispensing operations were well underway before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still standard and lacked effective pollution exclusions. The documented remediation trail here — dual UST removals, soil excavation, groundwater extraction, vapor extraction, and multi-year monitoring — represents real expenditures tied directly to pre-1986 storage and dispensing activity. Historical carriers whose CGL policies covered this property during that operational window may remain obligated to recover those costs and to fund any remediation still required to reach closure.

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.