This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1976. 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.

Dry cleaning operations at this property began at least a decade before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The PCE and TCE contamination found in the groundwater here is precisely the kind of gradual, ongoing release those pre-1986 policies were written to cover. With a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study still ahead, the full cost of cleanup has not yet been established — and historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the pre-1986 operational window may be obligated to fund what comes next.

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.