This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1983. 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.

Underground storage tanks at this station were installed before 1983, placing the facility's fueling operations squarely within the occurrence-based CGL era when policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. Decades of petroleum operations generated contamination significant enough to require the excavation of more than 6,600 tons of impacted soil, and groundwater beneath the property remains above cleanup levels for benzene and petroleum hydrocarbons. Historical carriers who insured the station during its pre-1986 operational years may be obligated to cover both the remediation costs already incurred and those still ahead as cleanup continues.

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.