This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1963. 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 site originated from a service station that operated for more than two decades — from 1963 until its 1985 demolition — entirely within the window when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Investigators have characterized the release as an old release tied directly to those historical operations, which places the triggering event squarely in the pre-1986 policy era. The documented remediation costs — soil excavation, chemical treatment, and multi-year groundwater monitoring — represent expenditures that historical carriers who issued CGL coverage during the station's operational years may 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.