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.

The dry cleaning operations at this property ran from 1968 to 1987, placing nearly two decades of PCE use squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The chlorinated-solvent contamination now confirmed in groundwater — PCE and its breakdown chain — is consistent with the type of gradual release that those pre-1986 policies were designed to cover. Remediation costs already being incurred under the Voluntary Cleanup Program, and those still ahead, may be recoverable from historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during Plaza Cleaners' years of operation.

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.