This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1973. 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 underground storage tanks at this property were installed around 1973, placing the start of gasoline operations more than a decade before 1986 — the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The petroleum contamination confirmed in groundwater here traces to infrastructure from that pre-1986 operational period. With active remediation underway — vapor extraction, air sparging, long-term monitoring — the cleanup expenditures already incurred and those still ahead may be recoverable from historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during those years of tank operation.

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.