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.

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 traces to dry-cleaning operations that, given the site's documented history extending to the nineteenth century, almost certainly began well before 1986 — when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. Those pre-1986 policies remain legally enforceable against historical carriers whose coverage was in force during the years the dry-cleaning releases occurred. The property now faces the full arc of a contamination response — additional investigation, interim cleanup, and eventual remediation — representing costs that may be fundable through those historical insurance obligations.

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.