This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1905. 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 petroleum contamination at this property originated from bulk fuel storage and dispensing operations that ran continuously from 1905 through the mid-1980s — well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and contained no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Cleanup expenditures have been accumulating since the early 1980s, and historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during that four-decade operational window may owe reimbursement for remediation costs already incurred. The site's ongoing performance monitoring phase represents continued expenditures that those same pre-1986 policies may also be obligated to fund.

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.