This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1950. 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 tank at this property was in operation from at least 1950 — more than three decades before occurrence-based CGL policies began incorporating enforceable pollution exclusions in 1986. The contamination pattern here, a slow release from a long-running residential heating oil system, is precisely the kind of gradual-onset pollution event that pre-1986 policies were written to cover. With residual soil contamination confirmed and groundwater investigation still pending, the full remediation cost has yet to be established, leaving historical carriers whose policies covered the property during the tank's operational years potentially obligated to fund the work 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.