This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1924. 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.

Heating oil operations at Clarwood Apartments ran from 1924 through at least 1975 — more than five decades during which the building's operators held occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law. The diesel-range petroleum hydrocarbon contamination confirmed in the soil here traces directly to those pre-1986 operations, meaning historical carriers who issued CGL coverage during that window may be obligated to fund both the investigation and UST closure costs already incurred and the remediation of the 442 cubic yards of impacted soil that still awaits cleanup.

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.