This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1954. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This commercial property at 3627 1st Ave S in Seattle has housed a 1,780-gallon bunker oil underground storage tank and a 500-gallon diesel UST since at least 1954, when the facility was constructed. Initial closure work has included decommissioning both tanks in place — pumping out 913 gallons of residual bunker oil and 379 gallons of oily water, inerting the tanks, excavating overlying asphalt, concrete, and soil for access, triple-rinsing the tank interiors with 242 gallons of rinse water removed for off-site treatment, and filling the voids with concrete slurry. Investigative derived wastes, including soil cuttings and decon water, were containerized for disposal, and five groundwater monitoring wells were installed and developed. Full remediation of soil and groundwater impacts from the historic diesel UST release remains pending. 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 petroleum contamination at this site traces to underground storage tanks installed when the building was constructed in 1954 — more than three decades before 1986, the year occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies began routinely excluding pollution liability. The release from the diesel UST is described in site documents as a historic event, meaning the contamination originated during the pre-1986 window when those policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The remediation costs now facing this property — ongoing groundwater monitoring and the full cleanup that lies ahead — 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
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
