This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1977. 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.

Fueling operations at this property began in 1977, nearly a decade before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies began incorporating effective pollution exclusions. The contamination profile here — with characteristics pointing to a historical rather than recent release — ties the origin of the UST releases directly to that pre-1986 operational era. Historical CGL carriers whose policies covered this gas station during the late 1970s and early 1980s may bear an obligation to fund the remediation costs this site now faces as cleanup moves forward.

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.