This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1950. 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.

Refinery and bulk storage operations at this site began in the 1950s — at least a decade before 1986, and potentially two or more — placing them squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The contamination profile here, including petroleum hydrocarbons, PCBs, and chlorinated solvents consistent with used-oil refining, is exactly what those pre-1986 policies were designed to cover. The documented remediation trail — tank removals, large-scale soil excavation, and an extensive multi-phase treatment program still being designed — represents expenditures the historical 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.