This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1964. 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 petroleum contamination at this site traces directly to underground storage tanks installed in 1964 and operated for decades — squarely within the era when occurrence-based CGL policies provided broad pollution coverage without effective exclusion. Documented remediation expenditures already include tank removals, soil contamination response, and a multi-well groundwater monitoring program, with cleanup still underway and additional costs ahead. Historical carriers whose policies were in force during those pre-1986 fueling operations may be obligated both to reimburse past remediation costs and to fund the remaining cleanup.

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.