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.

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.

Residential heating oil tanks of the type at this property were commonly installed and operated during the decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The diesel contamination documented here — confirmed through soil sampling at high concentrations — represents the kind of slow, latent release those pre-1986 policies were written to address. Investigation and remediation costs the property owner now faces could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose policies were in force during the tank's operational period.

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.