This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1962. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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 and TCE began at this property in 1962 — more than two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still lacked effective pollution exclusions in Washington. The halogenated solvent contamination documented in the subsurface here is precisely the type of slow, progressive release those pre-1986 policies were written to address. Years of documented remediation expenditures — UST removals, multi-year vapor extraction, and continuing VCP oversight — represent costs that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the 1962–1975 dry cleaning window, and into subsequent years of ongoing operations, 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.