This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1942. 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.

Fuel storage and dispensing operations at this Chehalis facility date to 1942, more than four decades before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The 529-gallon gasoline spill in 1981 and the petroleum contamination now confirmed in groundwater trace to infrastructure installed and operated squarely within that pre-1986 coverage window. Remediation costs already incurred — investigation, tank removal, and ongoing cleanup — as well as future expenditures to address groundwater and surface water impacts may fall within the obligations of historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during those decades of fuel operations.

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.