This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1975. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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 Texaco station at this location operated with underground storage tanks installed well before 1986, during the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Petroleum contamination from those USTs was already documented in groundwater by the mid-1990s, establishing a long-tail liability tied to decades of pre-1986 fuel-dispensing operations. With the site still awaiting cleanup and remediation costs yet to be incurred, historical CGL carriers who insured the facility during its pre-1986 operational window may be obligated to fund the investigation and remediation ahead.

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.