This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1920. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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.

Bulk fuel terminal operations at this site spanned more than six decades before 1986, the year occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies stopped reliably covering pollution claims in Washington. The petroleum and metals contamination now being remediated under the Voluntary Cleanup Program traces directly to those pre-1986 operations and surficial spills first documented in 1990. Historical carriers who provided CGL coverage during that operational window may be obligated both to recover the remediation costs already incurred and to fund the cleanup work that remains 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.