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 contamination detected here — benzene, petroleum gasoline, petroleum diesel, and non-halogenated solvents in groundwater — originated from underground storage tank operations that, based on tank lifecycle analysis and the 1990 investigation timeline, were likely established in the early-to-mid 1980s or earlier. CGL policies issued to the facility's operators during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law, and the investigation, tank closure, and groundwater remediation costs documented across more than two decades of cleanup represent expenditures those historical carriers may still be obligated to cover.

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.