This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1950. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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 underground storage tanks at the root of this contamination were installed in 1962 and have been dispensing fuel at this site for more than two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still written without effective pollution exclusions. A confirmed ongoing release tied to that pre-1986 operational history means historical carriers who issued CGL coverage during the Texaco service station years may face both liability for past remediation expenditures and an obligation to fund the $1,650,000 cleanup still underway. The documented scope — soil excavation, groundwater extraction, in situ treatment, and years of monitoring — represents exactly the type of multi-phase remediation cost that pre-1986 occurrence policies were written to cover.

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.