This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1958. 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.

Gasoline operations at this site began in 1958, placing nearly three decades of fueling activity within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The petroleum contamination confirmed in groundwater — benzene, TPH-GRO, diesel-range hydrocarbons — traces directly to underground storage tanks installed and operated during that pre-1986 window. With remediation costs spanning from UST removal through decades of groundwater monitoring still underway today, historical carriers who insured the Shell Oil and subsequent operations may remain obligated to fund both past and ongoing cleanup expenditures.

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.