This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1966. 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.

PCE use at this property began in 1966 — two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still lacked effective pollution exclusions. The groundwater contamination documented here is directly attributed to those historical dry cleaning operations, not a recent incident. The costs of investigation and future remediation at this site could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during the years PCE was actively being used on the property.

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.