This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1931. 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 USTs at this property were installed in 1931 and 1933 and remained in gasoline service for more than fifty years — the entire operational window fell within the era when occurrence-based CGL policies were the industry standard. The contamination footprint extends across two adjacent parcels, with documented UST removals totaling more than 30,000 gallons of combined capacity, plus stormwater infrastructure remediation and ongoing monitoring costs that continue to accumulate. Carriers who issued CGL policies to the Goodrich Silvertown store or its automotive successors during those five decades of pre-1986 operation may be obligated to fund both past investigation expenditures and the cleanup work that remains 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.