This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1930. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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 diesel fuel contamination at this property traces directly to bulk fuel storage and dispensing operations that ran for roughly three decades before 1986, the last year occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were written without effective pollution exclusions. Every gallon of fuel dispensed from those on-site drums occurred within the window when CGL carriers accepted pollution liability. The property owner now faces an unstarted cleanup — investigation is complete, but remediation costs remain entirely ahead — and historical carriers whose policies covered the operational period from the 1930s through 1967 may be obligated to fund that work.

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.