This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1950. 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.

UNOCAL held and operated this bulk fuel terminal for the decades spanning the 1950s through at least the 1980s — the precise window when the subsurface spill documented here would have occurred and begun migrating. CGL policies UNOCAL carried as the original operator are the most direct source of coverage for the contamination now driving remediation costs under Tosco's stewardship. In-situ treatment, LNAPL recovery, investigation-derived waste disposal, and multi-year monitoring are all expenditures tied to a release that originated on UNOCAL's operational watch, and historical carriers from that era may be obligated to fund both past and ongoing cleanup costs.

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.