This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility predating 1986. 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 profile at this property — chlorinated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, and metals spread across soil and groundwater — reflects long-term operational releases, not a single recent event, placing its origins squarely in the pre-1986 era when occurrence-based CGL policies were standard. Cleanup Action Plans dating to 1999 and 2000 and a 2001 Restrictive Covenant document over two decades of regulatory-mandated remediation costs already incurred, while the iron treatment wall, planned building removal, and ongoing monitoring ensure that expenditures will continue to grow. Historical carriers whose policies were in force during the decades of dry cleaning operations that produced the PCE, TCE, and petroleum contamination at this site may be obligated to fund both the costs already spent and those still ahead.

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.