This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1911. 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.

The contamination here originated from a residential heating oil tank associated with a structure built between 1911 and 1914 — decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still lacked effective pollution exclusions. A leaking underground storage tank of this vintage represents precisely the type of slow, ongoing release that pre-1986 CGL policies were written to cover. Anticipated program costs — Voluntary Cleanup Program review fees and State oversight — are expenditures that historical carriers whose policies were in force during the property's pre-1986 operational period 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.