This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1948. 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 at this property predated 1986 by nearly four decades — a period when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The chlorinated solvent contamination documented here, PCE and its breakdown products DCE and vinyl chloride, is characteristic of the slow, ongoing releases those policies were written to address. With the Voluntary Cleanup Program effort stalled and remediation unfinished, historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Fife Cleaners' operators during the 1948–1978 window may be obligated to fund both past expenditures and the cleanup costs that remain ahead.

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.