This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1919. 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 is attributed to historical releases from former underground storage tank systems that were installed and operated decades before 1986 — gasoline station use here dates to the late 1910s, with specific operations documented from 1945 through 1970. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the station operators during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law. The documented remediation costs already incurred — tank removals, soil disposal, site characterization — and the costs still ahead for groundwater bioremediation and long-term monitoring represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund going forward.

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.