This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility predating 1986. 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 PCE and TCE contamination at this property originated from dry cleaning operations that ceased in the early 1980s — years before the 1986 shift away from occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. More than a decade of active remediation infrastructure, thousands of pounds of solvent recovery, and long-term monitoring represent substantial documented cleanup expenditures tied directly to those pre-1986 releases. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the dry cleaner's operating years may be obligated both to recover past remediation costs and to fund the cleanup work that remains ahead.

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.