This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1968. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property was developed as a service station in 1968, originally equipped with five underground storage tanks — including steel 10,000-gallon unleaded and leaded gasoline USTs and a 6,000-gallon diesel UST — and continues to operate today as a Shell-branded wholesale fuel facility with upgraded fiberglass tanks and two dispenser islands. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program has included removal of a 550-gallon used oil UST and a 1,000-gallon heating oil UST, excavation of 90 cubic yards of petroleum-impacted soil, spill mitigation, and ongoing groundwater monitoring through a network of installed wells. The former gasoline USTs and dispenser islands were identified as the likely sources of the original petroleum release. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 site traces to fuel-dispensing infrastructure installed and operated continuously since 1968 — nearly two decades before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with effective pollution exclusions. The documented remediation costs to date — tank removals, soil excavation, and an ongoing groundwater monitoring program — represent expenditures that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the pre-1986 operational window may be obligated both to reimburse 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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
Ready to learn more?
Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
