This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1906. 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.

The contamination here originates from mineral-spirit solvent use and diesel fuel operations that began in 1906 and continued well into the mid-twentieth century, predating 1986 by decades. Occurrence-based CGL policies issued to the operators of the dry cleaning facility and steam baths during that long pre-1986 window contained no effective pollution exclusion and remain potentially enforceable today. The site's documented remediation expenditures — fourteen tank removals, thousands of cubic yards of soil treatment, large-volume groundwater recovery — and the estimated costs of planned future work represent liabilities that historical carriers may be obligated both to reimburse 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.