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.

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 PCE contamination at this site originated from chronic dry cleaning operations — investigators documented past releases at multiple locations on the property, reflecting an accumulation of historical practices rather than a single isolated spill. That pattern of release is consistent with activity spanning years before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The documented remediation record — soil excavation, years of active groundwater pumping and treatment, and long-term monitoring — traces directly to those pre-1986 operations, and the historical carriers whose policies covered the dry cleaning business during that window may remain obligated to fund the costs of cleanup.

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.