This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. 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 gasoline and BTEX contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks whose installation predates 1986 — the period when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The documented remediation costs to date — three UST removals, two rounds of soil excavation totaling hundreds of tons, and vapor extraction infrastructure — represent expenditures tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. Because cleanup is still ongoing, historical carriers whose policies were in force when the tanks were installed and operating may be obligated both to recover past costs and to fund the work still ahead.

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.