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 — 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 PCE contamination underlying this remedial area originated from dry cleaning and other industrial operations that were active well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The 1992 Enforcement Order and 1997 Consent Decree — requiring respondents to finance both remedial action and Ecology oversight costs — reflect the scale and duration of liability tied to those pre-1986 releases. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the named dry cleaning operators during their pre-1986 operational window may remain obligated to contribute to the documented remediation expenditures incurred under those enforcement instruments.

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.