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.

The co-occurrence of petroleum hydrocarbons and lead in soil here is a recognized indicator of historical leaded gasoline use — a fuel type phased out before 1986, placing the contamination's origin squarely within the era of occurrence-based CGL policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion. Carriers who issued those policies to prior owners or operators of the farmhouse property during the pre-1986 window may remain obligated to fund the upcoming cleanup, including UST removal, impacted soil disposal, and septic system removal now estimated at $33,500.

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.