This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1955. 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 traces directly to underground storage tank operations that began in 1955 — more than thirty years before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation effort here — 6,722 tons of excavated soil, contaminated groundwater disposal, engineered CDF containment walls, and ongoing monitoring obligations — reflects expenditures tied to releases from those pre-1986 fuel dispensing operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the station's operational window may be obligated both to recover costs already incurred and to fund the compliance requirements still running.

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.