This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1968. 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.

Dry cleaning operations using PCE-containing solvents began at this property in 1968, nearly two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. The chlorinated solvent plume now requiring active groundwater remediation and years of performance monitoring is precisely the kind of slow, progressive release those pre-1986 policies were written to cover. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the dry cleaning operator or the shopping center during that pre-1986 operational window may be obligated both to recover remediation costs already incurred and to fund the ongoing cleanup still underway.

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.