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 petroleum contamination identified here traces to heating oil tanks associated with residential structures predating 1941 — decades before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies began incorporating effective pollution exclusions in 1986. Releases from residential heating oil tanks were precisely the kind of gradual, long-running contamination events those pre-1986 policies were written to cover, and the carriers who issued policies to property operators during that window may still be obligated to fund the investigation and remediation costs that lie 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.