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 plume at this property — along with petroleum releases from the former gas station and heating oil tanks — originated from operations that predate 1986; sampling conducted as far back as 1992 confirmed the contamination was already present, placing the original releases years or decades earlier. Occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies issued to the dry cleaning and gas station operators during that pre-1986 window covered exactly this category of slow, ongoing environmental release, without the pollution exclusions that became standard after 1986. With further remediation costs ahead — additional soil and groundwater treatment, long-term monitoring, and potential follow-on cleanup actions — the historical carriers who insured Kwik Cleaners and the former service station during their operating years remain plausible sources of cost recovery.

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.