This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1950. 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.

Dry cleaning operations using PCE began at this location more than three decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still issued without effective pollution exclusions. The groundwater contamination documented here — PCE concentrations exceeding cleanup levels by orders of magnitude — is the product of decades of solvent use traceable to that pre-1986 operational window. Historical carriers whose CGL policies were in effect during the years of PCE use at this site may be obligated to fund the investigation, remediation, and vapor-intrusion mitigation 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.