This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1979. 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 storage tanks at this facility were installed and in active commercial use from 1979 — seven years before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Petroleum contamination documented in soil and groundwater here traces directly to those pre-1986 fueling operations. Historical CGL carriers who issued coverage during that operational window may be obligated both to recover remediation costs already expended — UST removals, bioremediation, multi-year groundwater monitoring — and to fund the 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.