This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1950. 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.

Chlorinated solvent contamination at this property — PCE and TCE from dry cleaning operations — originated from a facility that was actively operating for more than two decades before 1986. Occurrence-based CGL policies written for the operators during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law and remain enforceable today. The remediation costs accumulated here — soil excavation, UST removal, ISCO treatment, and years of groundwater monitoring — represent expenditures that historical carriers 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.