This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. 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.

The Fairmount Grocery & Motel operated as a commercial business before its first documented tank installation in 1986, placing the facility's operations squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard. The petroleum and benzene contamination now confirmed in groundwater at concentrations far exceeding cleanup levels represents the kind of ongoing remediation liability those pre-1986 policies were designed to cover. Historical carriers who insured the property during that operational window may be obligated to fund both the cleanup costs already incurred and the remediation work still 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.