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.

The fuel storage infrastructure at this station dates to approximately 1983 — squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies covered pollution liabilities without effective exclusion. The site's environmental history stretches back at least to 2005, when waste oil UST decommissioning was first documented, and the 2023 release has added substantial remediation obligations including emergency response, groundwater treatment, and vapor mitigation across multiple neighboring properties. Historical CGL carriers who insured the station's operations during the pre-1986 window may bear responsibility for both accumulated and ongoing cleanup costs at this site.

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.