This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1930. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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 PCE contamination at this property originated from dry cleaning operations conducted more than five decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still the industry norm and lacked effective pollution exclusions. The slow, ongoing release of chlorinated solvents into soil and groundwater is precisely the contamination type those pre-1986 policies were written to cover. The investigation, remedial design, and cleanup costs now facing this property could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose CGL policies were in effect during the decades when Montlake Dye Works was operating.

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.