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 — 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 here originated from underground storage tanks that were in service well before 1986 — the presence of lead in soil samples points to leaded-gasoline-era operations, confirming the pre-1986 operational window. Occurrence-based CGL policies written during that period carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington and remain enforceable today. Fifteen years of documented remediation expenditures — tank removals, soil excavation and treatment, vapor extraction, and long-term site management — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated to reimburse and to continue funding.

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.