This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1938. 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.

Every documented source of contamination at this property — petroleum fueling and distribution operations spanning 1938 to 1983, and a dry cleaning facility that released PCE and TCE into soil and groundwater — predates 1986, the year CGL policies began incorporating effective pollution exclusions. Occurrence-based policies issued to operators across those decades were written to cover exactly this type of gradual, undisclosed release. The remediation record here — excavation of federally listed hazardous waste, years of active vapor extraction, and ongoing subslab depressurization — represents the kind of documented cost trail that historical carriers may be obligated to fund.

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.