This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1974. 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.

PCE contamination at this property originated from historical, low-volume releases that accumulated over the company's full operational life — a window beginning around 1974 that ran entirely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies lacked effective pollution exclusions. That pattern of gradual, ongoing release is precisely what pre-1986 CGL policies were structured to cover. The documented remediation expenditures here — AST relocation, soil and groundwater removal, a multi-year treatment system, and long-term performance monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers who insured Eastern Supply's operations during that window 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.