This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1972. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
This property was developed into a service station by Shell Oil in 1972, with underground storage tanks installed as original equipment at that time. Shell Oil owned and operated the site from at least 1971 through 1985, after which Tri County Oil Company assumed ownership beginning in February 1986. Site investigations identified petroleum hydrocarbons — including gasoline, diesel, and benzene — as well as lead in groundwater beneath the property. The site has completed cleanup under Washington's Standard Cleanup program and carries a No Further Action determination. 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 at this station originated from underground storage tanks installed in 1972 and operated continuously through the pre-1986 era, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. Shell Oil held ownership during the entire 1972–1985 window, and carriers who issued CGL policies to Shell or its successors during those years may still be obligated to cover the remediation costs incurred to address petroleum and lead contamination in the site's groundwater. The completed cleanup and No Further Action status mean those costs are now fully documented and quantifiable.
Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.
Recovering Costs from an Older Cleanup
If this site reached No Further Action years ago, the original cleanup expenditures may be difficult to reconstruct. Restorical's forensic accounting team specializes in re-establishing and documenting past cleanup costs — even decades later — to build the strongest possible basis for an insurance recovery claim.
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.