This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1974. 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 chlorinated solvents began at this site in 1974 — more than a decade before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The PCE contamination that has migrated more than 150 feet into the subsurface is precisely the kind of gradual, ongoing release those pre-1986 policies were designed to cover. Documented remediation expenditures spanning nearly a decade of Voluntary Cleanup Program engagement, tank decommissioning, and hazardous-materials disposal represent costs that historical carriers who wrote CGL coverage during the 1974–1986 window may be obligated to reimburse — and to fund as cleanup continues.

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.