This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1936. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this property originates from fuel station operations that began in 1936, more than four decades before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies stopped providing effective pollution coverage. The concurrent dry cleaning operation adds a second historical contamination source, further broadening the universe of pre-1986 carriers who may have issued policies to operators at this address. Documented remediation costs from the 2003 excavation campaign, HRC treatment, and years of groundwater monitoring represent expenditures that historical CGL policyholders may be obligated both to recover and to fund as the remaining remedial alternatives are selected and implemented.

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.