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 underground storage tanks responsible for contamination at this property were in service well before the 1991 release notification, placing their installation and operational period squarely in the pre-1986 era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. Gasoline and BTEX contamination affecting both soil and groundwater required a remediation effort spanning twenty years — costs that historical carriers who provided coverage during the tanks' operational window may still be obligated to fund. The 2011 No Further Action determination confirms that those cleanup expenditures were real, documented, and complete.

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.