This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1932. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This Olympia property received petroleum contamination from two gasoline service stations that operated south and hydraulically upgradient from the site between 1932 and 1981, with petroleum hydrocarbons including TPH-G and benzene detected beneath the building. Remediation under the Voluntary Cleanup Program ran from approximately 2005 to 2010, encompassing closure of an underground storage tank in place and evaluation of physical containment barriers for impacted soil. Future long-term groundwater monitoring and institutional controls remain required if the selected containment approach is adopted. 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.
The petroleum contamination migrating beneath this property originated from service station operations that ran continuously from 1932 through 1981 — entirely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The operators of those upgradient stations held CGL policies during the decades the release first occurred, and those historical carriers may still be obligated to fund the documented remediation costs: UST closure, soil containment, and the long-term groundwater monitoring program required by regulators.
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.
