This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1969. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
City directories place Perfection Cleaners at this Arlington property from approximately 1969, and a 1980 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map confirmed a dry-cleaning machine in operation on-site; the facility used perchloroethylene (PCE/Perc) throughout its tenure. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment completed in May 2024 and a Focused Subsurface Investigation have identified PCE and trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination attributable to those historical dry-cleaning activities, with an ERTS incident logged in 2007 following a complaint about potential leaks from prior operations. The site is enrolled in the Voluntary Cleanup Program, but no active remediation has yet commenced — investigation is complete and further work remains to be scoped. 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.
Dry cleaning operations using perchloroethylene at this property began by at least 1969, nearly two decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The PCE and TCE now documented in the subsurface reflect the slow, continuous release pattern those pre-1986 policies were written to cover. With remediation not yet underway, the full cost of cleanup design and execution lies ahead — and historical CGL carriers whose policies were in force during those pre-1986 operating years may be obligated to fund it.
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.
