This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. 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.

The gasoline fueling operations at this airport-adjacent property are linked to a facility whose "Old Gas Station" designation and location at an airport operating since 1928 place its active fueling years well before 1986. Petroleum contamination now documented in groundwater originated from those operations, and the cleanup — still in its preliminary stages with remedial investigation yet to come — will generate substantial costs that have not yet been incurred. Historical CGL carriers whose occurrence-based policies covered the property during its pre-1986 fueling operations may bear obligation for the contamination already identified and the remediation expenditures 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.