This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1971. 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.

Gasoline service station operations and underground storage tank installations at this property began in the early 1970s and continued through the mid-1980s — squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The petroleum contamination now documented in two distinct groundwater zones, including LNAPL in the island's drinking water aquifer, traces to releases from those pre-1986 fueling operations and UST infrastructure. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the 1971-to-1986 operational window may bear obligation for the remediation costs already incurred and the cleanup work still 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.