This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1936. 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.

The petroleum contamination confirmed in groundwater at this property — benzene and gasoline-range hydrocarbons — traces to fueling operations that began around 1936, a half-century before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. Carriers who insured Standard Oil of California, Signal Oil Company, or successive operators during the station's 1936–1962 operational window issued policies that covered exactly this type of gradual petroleum release. The remediation costs now being incurred to address confirmed groundwater contamination may be recoverable from those historical policies, and carriers may remain obligated to fund ongoing cleanup.

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.