This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1967. 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.

Aviation fuel storage and dispensing at this site began approximately 1967 — nearly two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. The petroleum contamination in groundwater and surface water, including benzene and LNAPL from leaded aviation gasoline, traces directly to operations conducted under those pre-1986 policies. Documented remediation costs — UST excavation, contamination investigation, and ongoing cleanup — represent expenditures the historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.