This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1978. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property operated as a retail gasoline service station — known at various times as the Charleston Beach Texaco Station and Charleston B.P. Service Station — from approximately 1978 until March 2002. The facility included a convenience store building, a fueling island with three dispensers, and four underground storage tanks, all of which were removed in 2003. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program has included the removal of approximately 1,807 cubic yards of petroleum-impacted soil, groundwater monitoring ongoing since 1996, and an approved Air Sparging and Soil Vapor Extraction system planned to treat residual soil and groundwater contamination. 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 releases at this site originated from underground storage tanks and fuel dispensing operations that began in 1978 — eight years before occurrence-based CGL policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims. The remediation record already spans decades of soil removal, tank extraction, groundwater monitoring, and engineered treatment systems, with active cleanup still underway. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the station's pre-1986 operating years may be obligated both to recover costs already incurred and to fund the remaining remediation 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.
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.
