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 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.

Underground storage tanks at this property were already leaking by 1992, and standard tank degradation timelines place their installation well before 1986 — squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were issued without effective pollution exclusions. The petroleum contamination now confirmed in groundwater and sediment originated from infrastructure installed and operated during that pre-1986 policy window. Cleanup costs incurred to date and remediation expenses still ahead represent expenditures that historical CGL 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.