This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1900. 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.

The diesel-range and lube oil-range petroleum hydrocarbons documented at Terminal 5 originated from bulk storage and distribution operations that were underway at this site for decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The documented remediation costs — contaminated soil excavation, debris disposal, monitoring well installation, and multi-year groundwater sampling — represent expenditures tied directly to those historical operations. With cleanup ongoing and modernization continuing to expose subsurface contamination, historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the terminal's pre-1986 operational window may be obligated both to recover those costs and to fund the work that remains.

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.