This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1984. 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.

PCE contamination at this property first appeared in 1980 — six years before Washington State's occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies began reliably excluding pollution claims — placing the originating releases squarely in the coverage window when those carriers were on the risk. The costs already documented through the Voluntary Cleanup Program — site investigation, preparation of a detailed cleanup action plan, and mobilization of ERH and SVE infrastructure — are expenditures those historical carriers may be obligated to reimburse. The one-to-five-year treatment program still ahead, including potential bioremediation contingencies and extensive compliance monitoring, represents a separate and ongoing category of costs the same pre-1986 policies may be required 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.