This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1958. 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.

This fueling station has operated continuously since 1958, with underground storage tanks in service from 1970 — placing nearly three decades of petroleum operations squarely within the pre-1986 era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The severe soil contamination documented here and the suspected groundwater impacts trace to infrastructure installed and operated during that policy window. As investigation and remediation costs for petroleum-affected soil and groundwater accumulate, historical CGL carriers who covered the facility during its pre-1986 operations may bear obligation to fund those expenditures.

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.