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 fund a cleanup.
This property was formerly occupied by a Chevron gas station, which is the documented reason it came under regulatory investigation. The former station included a heating oil tank and hydraulic hoists; investigation records from November 1992 indicate that a tank basin had been excavated and backfilled, and a former Chevron employee was interviewed as part of the inquiry. No active cleanup work has yet commenced at the site. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 Chevron station at this property operated long enough that a former employee remained a Yakima-area resident when regulators conducted their 1992 investigation — establishing an operational history that almost certainly predates 1986, the cutoff year for occurrence-based CGL policies without effective pollution exclusions. Underground storage tanks and a heating oil tank at a former gas station are precisely the type of pre-1986 infrastructure whose releases those policies were written to cover. The investigation and remediation costs this property now faces represent expenditures that historical carriers 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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
Ready to learn more?
Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
