This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1942. 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 property originated from underground storage tanks and fueling equipment that were installed and operated continuously from 1942 — more than four decades before 1986, the year occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims. The decades of documented remediation expenditures — tank removals, large-scale soil excavation, chemical oxidation injections, and long-term monitoring under Ecology oversight — represent costs tied directly to releases from those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the station's 1942–1986 operating window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup costs and to fund the remediation still underway.

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.