This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1956. 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.

Petroleum distribution at this facility ran continuously from 1956 through the early 1980s under operators including Glen Fuel Service, Able Oil, and Coastal Oil — each of whom carried CGL policies during a window when those occurrence-based contracts had no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The documented 1,800-gallon gasoline spill during Coastal Oil's 1981 operations ties the groundwater contamination directly to an insured event under a specific operator's policy. Cleanup expenditures already incurred and the remediation costs still ahead are the type of covered losses those historical carriers may be obligated to both reimburse and continue funding.

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.