This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1985. 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.

Dry cleaning operations using PCE began at this property in the mid-1980s — at or before the 1986 inflection point when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims in Washington. The contamination documented here is a textbook gradual release: solvent migrating through soil into groundwater over decades of routine operations. Remediation costs already incurred — machine removal, repeated excavations, vapor extraction, air sparging — and the monitoring costs still accruing represent expenditures that historical CGL carriers on the risk during the pre-1986 operational window may be obligated to reimburse and to continue funding.

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.