This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1928. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
This property hosted two documented contaminating operations: the 72nd Street Cleaners dry cleaning facility, which operated on the site from 1946 to 1979, and the Unocal Service Station, which operated from approximately 1928 to 1991. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) from the dry cleaner are identified as the primary chlorinated solvent contamination source; petroleum releases from the former service station contributed a second contaminant plume. Cleanup activities under the Voluntary Cleanup Program have included removal of underground storage tanks and service station infrastructure, operation of both interim and active groundwater recovery and remediation systems, long-term groundwater monitoring, contaminated soil removal, and disposal of investigation-derived waste. Remediation is ongoing. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 chlorinated solvent contamination here — PCE and TCE from dry cleaning machinery operated from 1946 through 1979 — traces to operations that predate 1986 by four decades, a period when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The Unocal Service Station's petroleum releases, from operations running from approximately 1928 to 1991, add a parallel pre-1986 liability exposure on the same parcel. Historical carriers that issued CGL policies to either the dry cleaning operator or the service station operator during their respective pre-1986 windows may remain obligated to fund the groundwater treatment, soil remediation, and long-term monitoring costs this site continues to generate.
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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
