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

Petroleum and lead contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks and fueling infrastructure that were installed and operated for five decades before 1986 — a period when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The presence of lead in soil and groundwater independently confirms pre-1986 operations, since leaded gasoline was phased out during that era. Documented remediation expenditures spanning more than two decades — excavation, tank removal, vapor extraction, bioremediation, and long-term monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund as cleanup continues.

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.