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.

The underground storage tanks at this site were installed and in active use for decades before 1986 — including pre-Unocal tanks removed as recently as 1993, and Unocal's own 10,000-gallon steel tanks installed in 1967. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to operators during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law. The site's documented remediation expenditures — multiple UST removals, thousands of cubic yards of soil excavation, sludge disposal, and an anticipated long-term groundwater pump-and-treat program — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.