This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1927. 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 Stoddard solvent contamination at this site originated from laundry and dry cleaning operations that began in 1927 and continued for more than five decades before 1986 — the period during which occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. At least 19 of the site's 30 underground storage tanks were confirmed in service prior to 1986, directly tying the contamination to pre-1986 operational activity. The documented remediation costs — tank removals, excavation and thermal treatment of nearly 20,000 cubic yards of soil, long-term groundwater monitoring, and residual capping — represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund as cleanup work continues.

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.