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.

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 site originated from underground storage tank operations that began around 1978 — nearly a decade before the 1986 shift away from occurrence-based Commercial General Liability coverage. The documented release history, including the 1981 explosion and successive petroleum discharges through 1984, falls squarely within the window when CGL policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Decades of remediation expenditures — product recovery, vapor extraction, bioventing, groundwater treatment, and ongoing monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated both to reimburse and to continue funding as cleanup work proceeds.

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.