This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1966. 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 traces directly to dry cleaning operations that began in 1966, two decades before occurrence-based CGL policies stopped reliably covering pollution claims. The documented remediation record here — over 1,800 tons of impacted soil excavated, groundwater treatment infrastructure evaluated, vapor intrusion controls installed, and long-term monitoring sustained — represents substantial expenditures tied to a release that originated during the pre-1986 operational period. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the dry cleaning operator during that window may be obligated both to recover costs already incurred and to fund the cleanup work that remains.

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.