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 — 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.

The PCE contamination at this property originated from dry cleaning operations that predated 1986, the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and had no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Documented remediation expenditures — a 20-foot excavation, over a decade of soil vapor extraction, repeated in-situ chemical injection programs, and ongoing monitoring — represent costs tied directly to that pre-1986 operational history. Historical CGL carriers whose policies were in force during those dry cleaning years may be obligated both to recover costs already incurred and to fund the treatment program that remains active today.

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.