This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1952. 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 installed in 1952 and operated for roughly two decades — a timeline that places the contamination-causing operations entirely within the era when occurrence-based CGL policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The gradual corrosion and leakage that released petroleum into the soil and groundwater here is precisely the type of slow, ongoing release those pre-1986 policies were written to address. Documented remediation costs — tank removal, soil excavation, and an ongoing groundwater investigation — represent expenditures that historical carriers whose policies covered the property during its operational period may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.