This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station 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 gasoline USTs removed from this property in 1990 were, under standard tank lifecycle analysis, very likely installed during the 1960s to 1970s — well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The petroleum contamination detected in groundwater originated from those decades of underground storage tank operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the operators during that pre-1986 window may still bear obligations for the investigation and remediation costs incurred at this site.

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.