This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1972. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
This property operated as a 7-Eleven convenience store and retail gasoline station from 1972 to 2002. Two single-wall steel underground storage tanks and a gasoline dispensing system were installed in September 1972, followed by a third UST in May 1979; all three were decommissioned in April 2002. Groundwater investigation identified non-halogenated solvents and petroleum products beneath the property, and cleanup was completed through the Voluntary Cleanup Program, with the site receiving a No Further Action determination. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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.
Petroleum storage and dispensing operations at this property began in 1972 — fourteen years before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were replaced by claims-made forms with effective pollution exclusions. The three underground storage tanks that operated here through 2002 were the source of groundwater contamination requiring investigation and remediation under the Voluntary Cleanup Program. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the 1972–1986 operational window may still be obligated to recover the cleanup costs incurred to address releases originating from those pre-1986 tank operations.
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.
Recovering Costs from an Older Cleanup
If this site reached No Further Action years ago, the original cleanup expenditures may be difficult to reconstruct. Restorical's forensic accounting team specializes in re-establishing and documenting past cleanup costs — even decades later — to build the strongest possible basis for an insurance recovery claim.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.