This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1925. 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 property traces directly to bulk distribution operations that ran from 1925 to 1960 — more than two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The underground storage tanks removed in 1990 had been in service throughout that pre-1986 operational era, meaning the releases they caused originated well before modern policy language began excluding such claims. Historical CGL carriers whose policies covered Pacific Coast Hemphill Oil Co during that distribution window may be obligated to recover documented remediation expenditures and to fund any continuing cleanup obligations at this site.

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.