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.
This property operated as Unocal Service Station 2237, with multiple underground storage tanks dispensing gasoline and diesel fuel at 330 & 354 East North Bend Way. Remedial excavation was conducted in 2000–2001, and former USTs and a septic tank were removed from the site. Gasoline-, diesel-, and oil-range petroleum hydrocarbons along with BTEX compounds were detected in soil and groundwater, and multi-year groundwater monitoring with associated purge-water treatment has been ongoing under the Voluntary Cleanup Program. A restrictive covenant is in place to manage residual contaminated soil, and additional excavation may be required in connection with planned road construction. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 petroleum contamination at this former service station originated from underground storage tanks whose presence and condition point to operations well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. More than two decades of documented remediation — excavation, tank removal, groundwater monitoring, purge-water treatment, and an ongoing restrictive covenant — represent costs that historical CGL carriers may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund as cleanup continues. With additional soil work anticipated ahead of road construction, the carrier exposure at this site is not yet fully realized.
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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
