This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1933. 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 contamination at this site traces to underground storage tanks installed and operated beginning in 1933 — more than five decades before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. The documented remediation expenditures already incurred, combined with the $950,000 excavation still ahead, represent substantial cleanup costs tied directly to releases from those pre-1986 fueling operations. Historical carriers who wrote CGL coverage for the station's operators during that long operational window may be obligated both to reimburse past remediation costs and to fund the cleanup work that remains.

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.