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.

City directory records cited in a 2004 investigation report document dry cleaning and laundry operations at this location prior to 1986, placing the origin of the PCE plume squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The contamination here — high-concentration PCE in both soil and groundwater beneath the dry cleaning tenant space — is consistent with slow operational releases accumulated over years of solvent use, precisely the type of ongoing pollution event those pre-1986 policies were written to address. As the primary site moves into an active remediation program, historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during the Norge Cleaners operational period may be obligated to fund the investigation and cleanup costs the property now faces.

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.