This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1969. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
This single-story building at 715 Water Street operated as a dry cleaning facility from approximately 1969 to 1995, with releases of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) attributed to those historical operations. Cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Program included excavation and disposal of 58.18 tons of PCE and petroleum-impacted soil from an area 15 by 12 feet at depths of 6 to 9 feet, and the removal of a 170-gallon underground storage tank containing 30 gallons of mixed petroleum and chlorinated solvent non-aqueous phase liquid. Investigations ran from 2018 through a No Further Action determination issued in 2023. 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.
Dry cleaning operations at this property began in 1969 — seventeen years before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The PCE and TCE contamination documented here is a direct product of those pre-1986 operations, not a recent release. The excavation, UST removal, and multi-year investigation costs incurred to reach a No Further Action determination represent expenditures that historical carriers whose policies were in force during the dry cleaning years may be obligated to recover.
Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.
Recovering Costs from an Older Cleanup
If this site reached No Further Action years ago, the original cleanup expenditures may be difficult to reconstruct. Restorical's forensic accounting team specializes in re-establishing and documenting past cleanup costs — even decades later — to build the strongest possible basis for an insurance recovery claim.
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.
