This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1960. 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.

Heating oil distribution operations at this property date to 1960, placing more than two decades of commercial activity squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The diesel-range contamination now requiring remediation — soil treatment, groundwater monitoring, biosparging — stems from infrastructure installed and operated throughout that pre-1986 window. Historical carriers who underwrote CGL coverage during those decades of tank operations may be obligated to fund the cleanup costs the property owner now faces.

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.