This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1940. 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.

The heating oil contamination at this property traces to a tank installed in the 1940s and operated through the 1950s — decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The remediation costs documented here — tank removal, soil excavation, and over a decade of investigation and reporting — arose from a release tied directly to that mid-century infrastructure. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the tank's operational life may be obligated both to recover past cleanup expenditures and to fund remediation still ahead.

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.