This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1921. 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.

Bulk fuel storage and distribution operations at this site began sixty-five years before 1986, creating a decades-long window during which occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies — without effective pollution exclusions — were issued to the facility's successive operators. Petroleum contamination has reached groundwater and required active remediation including recovery well installation and pumping to protect the Columbia River. The historical carriers who covered this facility during its pre-1986 operational decades may bear obligation for the cleanup costs already incurred and those still ahead as remediation 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.