This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1968. 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.

Dry-cleaning operations using PCE began at this property in 1968 — nearly two decades before 1986, the year occurrence-based CGL policies with effective pollution exclusions displaced the prior generation of coverage. The PCE contamination and its chlorinated breakdown products, including TCE, found in soil and groundwater here trace directly to that pre-1986 operational history. With an interim soil excavation already completed and multi-year investigations and groundwater monitoring still active, the site carries a documented and growing remediation cost trail that historical carriers whose policies were in force during the dry-cleaning years 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.