This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1927. 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.

Petroleum storage and distribution operations at this property date to at least 1927 — nearly six decades before occurrence-based CGL policies began excluding pollution claims after 1986. Groundwater beneath the site is contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons, benzene, PAHs, and naphthalene, with indoor air benzene concentrations exceeding Method B cleanup levels by more than 45 times. The remediation costs this contamination demands — investigation, cleanup design, and long-term response — represent expenditures that historical carriers who insured the property's pre-1986 operations 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.