This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1951. 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 PCE contamination driving this investigation originated from dry-cleaning operations that ran from 1951 through the mid-1960s — well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still lacked effective pollution exclusions in Washington. The remediation path ahead — soil excavation, ongoing monitoring, and multi-parcel coordination — represents exactly the category of cleanup expenditure those pre-1986 policies were written to address. Historical carriers whose policies were in force during the 1951–1961 dry-cleaning window may remain obligated to fund the costs the property owner now faces.

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.