This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1971. 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 site is attributed to historical service station operations that began in 1971 — fifteen years before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The cleanup cost trail already spans three decades and continues to grow: soil removal, vapor extraction, long-term monitoring, and a Feasibility Study yet to come. Carriers who issued occurrence-based policies to the operators during the 1971–1986 window may be obligated both to reimburse past remediation expenditures and to fund the cleanup 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.