This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1964. 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 Bremerton property around 1964 — more than two decades before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The contamination beneath the site is the product of routine operations over that pre-1986 window, precisely the kind of gradual release those earlier policies covered without exclusion under Washington law. Documented remediation costs already incurred and cleanup work still ahead represent expenditures that historical carriers on the risk during the 1960s through the mid-1980s may be obligated both to reimburse 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.