This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1910. 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 contamination at this property traces to bulk petroleum storage and distribution operations that were active more than half a century before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and contained no effective pollution exclusion. Carriers who issued those policies to Standard Oil and its successor operators during that extended pre-1986 window may be obligated to fund the investigation, remediation design, and soil and sediment cleanup that still lies ahead. For a site with this depth of documented industrial history, identifying and activating dormant historical policies is a direct path to financing the cleanup costs the property owner is about to face.

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.