This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1985. 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.

The active dry cleaning operations responsible for the PCE, TCE, and DCE contamination ran from 1985 to 1990 — with the 1985–1986 portion falling within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during that pre-exclusion window may be obligated both to recover the remediation costs already incurred — years of SVE operation and the 138-ton soil excavation — and to fund the continuing monitoring program and the costs associated with the proposed institutional control. The cleanup is active and forward-looking expenses remain open.

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.