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 gas station and mini-mart operations at this property occurred within a neighborhood where buildings were constructed from the 1940s through the mid-1970s — well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still lacked effective pollution exclusions and routinely covered contamination originating from fuel-handling operations. The remediation program now in place — vapor extraction infrastructure, groundwater recovery, ongoing O&M, and multi-year sampling — represents documented expenditures tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during that operational window may remain obligated to contribute to both past and continuing 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.