This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1953. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.

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 and solvent contamination at this property traces to fueling infrastructure installed in the early 1950s — more than three decades before occurrence-based CGL policies began excluding pollution claims. The remediation record here spans UST decommissioning, soil excavation, in-situ bioremediation, groundwater monitoring, and surface-water spill response, all addressing releases tied to those original pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who covered Standard Oil or subsequent operators during the 1953–1986 window may still bear obligations for the cleanup costs this site incurred.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.