This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1969. 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 site in 1969 — seventeen years before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The perchloroethene contamination documented here in both soil and groundwater is precisely the type of slow, continuous release those pre-1986 policies were written to address. Documented remediation costs — soil excavation, in-situ bioremediation, and long-term groundwater monitoring — represent expenditures that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the 1969–1986 window may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.