This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1980. 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 contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks installed in 1980 and 1983 — years when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The scale of the documented impact — benzene and gasoline-range hydrocarbons in a groundwater plume stretching 1,400 feet and threatening domestic water supplies — points to remediation costs that are both substantial and ongoing. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the pre-1986 operational window may be obligated to recover expenditures already incurred and to fund the cleanup work that remains.

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.