This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal predating 1986. 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.

The petroleum contamination at this facility originated from underground storage tanks that served a bulk distribution operation predating 1986 — the year occurrence-based CGL policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims in Washington. Remediation expenditures incurred to decommission the USTs, characterize the release, and bring the site to a No Further Action standard were driven by contamination tied directly to those earlier operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies while the facility's tanks were in active use may remain obligated to recover those documented cleanup costs.

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.