This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1906. 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.

Heating oil operations at this property ran from at least 1906 through the 1970s — spanning the entire era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The undocumented removal of both the 2,000-gallon underground storage tank and the oil burner introduces the possibility of long-standing soil and groundwater contamination tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the property's owners or operators across that decades-long window may bear financial exposure for the remediation costs now accumulating under the Standard Cleanup program.

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.