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.

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 gasoline underground storage tanks removed in 1989 were, by standard tank lifecycle estimates, installed no later than 1964 — more than two decades before occurrence-based CGL policies began incorporating effective pollution exclusions. The contamination documented in groundwater here is attributed directly to those historical operations, and the property has yet to undergo active cleanup. The remediation costs ahead — treatment system design, soil and groundwater work, and long-term monitoring — represent exactly the type of future liability that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the pre-1986 operational window may be obligated to fund.

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.