This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1950. 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.

Commercial operations at this property date to at least 1950 — more than three decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The gasoline service station use confirmed by county assessor records and the Rose Texaco and Shell Food Mart designations places the facility squarely within the pre-1986 CGL coverage window. As investigation and remediation costs mount to address the petroleum, metals, PCBs, and other contaminants now suspected in groundwater and surface water, historical carriers who issued policies during those decades of pre-1986 operations may bear obligations to fund the cleanup.

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.