This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank predating 1986. 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 originated from a residential tank installed and operated well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. Substantial remediation costs have already accumulated — UST removal, soil excavation, product recovery, and bioremediation — and the site carries an active Cleanup Started status, meaning additional monitoring and potential further remediation expenditures remain ahead. Historical carriers whose policies covered this property during the tank's pre-1986 operational years may be obligated both to address the cleanup costs already incurred and to fund the work that has yet to be completed.

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.