This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1925. 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.

Cleaning and dry cleaning operations at this property span from 1925 through at least 1990 — more than six decades of continuous use predating 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The PCE contamination now confirmed in groundwater, along with a potential vapor encroachment condition from chlorinated solvents, is the type of gradual, long-duration release those policies were written to cover. Historical carriers who insured the property's operators during that pre-1986 window may bear obligations both to recover past investigation and remediation expenditures and to fund the cleanup work now underway.

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.