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.

Applying standard tank lifecycle analysis, the heating oil UST at this school was installed no later than 1986 — placing its operational years squarely in the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies lacked effective pollution exclusions. The one-inch hole found in the tank bottom is consistent with a slow, gradual release of the kind those policies were designed to cover, not a sudden accidental spill. The remediation costs already documented — soil excavation, groundwater removal, and extended regulatory oversight — along with the groundwater monitoring still ahead, represent the type of expenditure that historical carriers whose policies were in force during the tank's operational life may be obligated to fund.

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.