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.

TCE and PCE contamination of the type documented at this property is the signature of chlorinated-solvent dry cleaning operations that were widespread before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The seven structures that stood on this parcel were described as historical even by 2008, indicating an operational history extending well before that coverage threshold. The remediation expenditures already incurred here — 9,500 tons of soil excavation, 54,000 gallons of groundwater dewatering, and ongoing multi-year monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover 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.