This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1955. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property has operated as a fueling station since 1955, initially as a combination refueling station, pressure washer facility, and automotive garage. In 1984 the site was redeveloped into its current configuration as a Pacific Pride gasoline station with a mini-market and truck scale; it currently operates as a Gull self-service gasoline station and mini-mart alongside a Pacific Pride commercial fueling station dispensing gasoline and diesel. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program has been underway since at least 1994, including underground storage tank removals, soil excavation, and operation of a soil vapor extraction system that recovered 8,600 pounds of total petroleum hydrocarbons. Air sparging and groundwater pumping pilot tests have been conducted, and a dual-phase extraction and air sparging system is proposed for continued remediation. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 and lead contamination at this site traces to fueling operations that began in 1955 — more than three decades before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. The documented remediation expenditures already incurred — UST removals, soil excavation, vapor extraction, pilot testing, and years of monitoring — along with the proposed dual-phase extraction system still ahead, represent costs that historical carriers who wrote occurrence-based policies during that pre-1986 operational window may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund going forward.
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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
