This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. 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 documented here — gasoline, diesel, and BTEX compounds — originated from underground storage tanks installed and operated before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation at this property alone — UST removals, nearly 14,000 tons of excavated soil, and soil vapor investigation — represents substantial past expenditures that historical CGL carriers may be obligated to cover. And because active remediation continues at adjoining portions of the same site, those pre-1986 policies remain directly relevant to funding the cleanup costs still 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.