This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1959. 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 property — gasoline, diesel, BTEX compounds, and heavy oil — originated from a service station that operated for over a decade before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Contamination was first identified in 1990 and linked directly to those pre-1986 operations; cleanup began in 1995 and has not concluded, with additional excavation and treatment work still on the table. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the 1959–1973 operational window may be obligated both to recover the remediation costs already incurred and to fund the work that lies 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.