This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1928. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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.

Bulk petroleum storage and distribution operations at this property began nearly six decades before 1986 and spanned the entire era when leaded gasoline was the industry standard and occurrence-based CGL policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The contamination documented here — petroleum hydrocarbons and lead in soil and groundwater — is the direct signature of those pre-1986 operations, described in the record as historic in origin. The cleanup costs the current property owner now faces have not yet been recovered, and historical carriers who issued CGL policies to General Petroleum Corporation, Shell Oil Co., or Mobil Oil Corporation during decades of active bulk fuel operations may remain obligated to fund the remediation ahead.

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.