This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1968. 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.

Both the gasoline station and the dry cleaning operation at this property were active well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The PCE contamination now documented in groundwater and soil vapor traces directly to decades of dry cleaning operations that began in 1977 — squarely within the coverage window of those historical policies. Remediation costs already incurred and still accumulating under the Standard Cleanup program represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated to recover and to fund going forward.

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.