This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1962. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
Building 207 at Snohomish County Airport housed a 7,000-gallon heating oil tank and an associated 180-gallon nurse tank that fueled the building's boilers, with an engineering drawing from 1962 confirming the installed tank location — and the building itself dating to the early 1940s. In April 2003, the heating oil tank was closed in place, the nurse tank was removed, and approximately 20 cubic yards of petroleum-contaminated soil were excavated during that closure work. The site was subsequently enrolled in the Voluntary Cleanup Program in 2007, though the VCP agreement was terminated in 2010 following inactivity after the initial closure and assessment efforts. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 at this property — attributed to vent line overflow and pinhole leaks from the nurse tank — originated from a heating oil system operational well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and lacked effective pollution exclusions. A 1962 engineering drawing places the tank's installation at least that far back, and the building's construction in the early 1940s suggests the system may predate even that. Historical CGL carriers whose policies covered Building 207's operations during that pre-1986 window may be obligated to fund the site's remaining remediation costs.
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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
