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.

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 mixture of gasoline, oil, PCE, and specialized lubricants found in the groundwater here is characteristic of automotive service operations that, based on the site's documented pavement history, were underway at this location well before 1986. The contamination source is undefined and the remediation scope has not yet been established — meaning the property owner faces investigation and cleanup expenditures whose full extent remains unknown. Pre-1986 occurrence-based CGL policies issued to operators of the earlier service station could plausibly be called upon to fund that upcoming work, rather than leaving the current owner to absorb costs tied to a release that predates their tenure entirely.

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.