This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility predating 1986. 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 and TCE contamination at this property originated from dry cleaning operations that almost certainly predated 1986, the year occurrence-based CGL policies stopped providing meaningful pollution coverage. The remediation record runs from the 2009 Agreed Order through years of in-situ groundwater treatment and a 2024 injection pilot, with performance monitoring now the remaining obligation. Historical carriers whose policies were in force during the pre-1986 operational window may still be obligated to fund that ongoing monitoring and to recover the treatment costs already expended.

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.