This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1942. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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 PCE and TPH contamination at this site originated from dry-cleaning and automotive operations conducted here from 1942 onward — decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The contamination was already being discovered in the 1980s, placing the release squarely within the coverage window of those historical policies. More than three decades of documented remediation expenditures — soil excavation, groundwater recirculation treatment, vapor extraction systems, and continuous monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the pre-1986 operational period may still be obligated to fund.

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.