This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1955. 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 No. 4165 from the mid-1950s, with original construction including two 6,000-gallon underground gasoline storage tanks, later reconstructed in 1968 with two 10,000-gallon tanks, a 550-gallon waste oil tank, a heating oil tank, and three service islands. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program has included removal of six underground storage tanks, demolition of the station building, removal of a drywell system, and excavation of approximately 861 cubic yards of petroleum-contaminated soil for disposal and biotreatment. Groundwater monitoring, vapor mitigation through ventilation and structural repairs, and further site investigation are ongoing, with groundwater treatment recommended as a next phase. 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.
Petroleum contamination at this site traces to underground storage tanks installed and operated continuously from the mid-1950s through at least 1991 — decades during which occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The presence of lead in soil samples tied to gasoline tanks and product lines directly confirms releases during the era of leaded fuel, well before 1986. Documented remediation costs already incurred — tank removals, building demolition, soil excavation, vapor mitigation, long-term monitoring — along with the recommended future groundwater treatment, represent expenditures 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.
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.
