This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1982. 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 1982, four years before the industry-wide shift away from occurrence-based CGL policies that carried meaningful pollution coverage. The chlorinated-solvent contamination now documented in soil and groundwater is precisely the type of slow, ongoing release that pre-1986 policies were written to address. The cleanup costs accumulating here — interim vapor controls, feasibility study work, and a multi-phase remediation program tied to redevelopment — represent expenditures that historical carriers whose policies were active during the early years of Overlake Cleaners' operation may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.