This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1957. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
The Schaffer Property in Ridgefield, Clark County has documented uses dating to at least 1957, when a lumber company held ownership; later occupants included a boat builder (1970–1971) and a post office beginning in 1978. Groundwater beneath the property is contaminated with tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), with investigation tracing the likely source to Park Cleaners and Laundry — a dry cleaning operation at 122 North Main Avenue that used PCE and operated from 1964 to 1980. Remediation to date has consisted of capping and containment of the contaminated groundwater zone; a neighboring parcel, the Knapp Property, received a No Further Action determination following an independent remedial action, but the Schaffer Property remains under Standard Cleanup. 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.
The PCE and TCE plume documented beneath this property traces to a dry cleaning operation that ran from 1964 through 1980, entirely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies had no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. With cleanup at the Schaffer Property still unresolved, the remediation costs ahead — investigation, design, and active treatment — are the type of forward-looking expenditure that historical CGL carriers whose policies covered operations here during those pre-1986 decades may be obligated 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.
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.
