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.

Groundwater samples collected at this site in March 1993 contained elevated concentrations of lead — a direct marker of leaded gasoline, which was phased out of retail fuel before 1986 — placing the originating releases within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Underground storage tanks dispensing leaded fuel were operating at this property when those pre-1986 CGL policies were written, meaning the historical carriers who insured operations here may remain obligated to fund documented remediation costs: tank removals, soil excavation, groundwater disposal, and nearly two decades of continuing regulatory oversight.

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.