This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This industrial property has operated as a concrete moldings manufacturing facility, producing Jersey barriers and sound wall barriers under Columbia Rock Concrete Products Inc. and its successor, Concrete Products Oregon LLC. A 2001 Phase II Environmental Site Assessment documented that employees routinely sprayed diesel fuel directly onto concrete forms as a release compound — a standard manufacturing practice that repeatedly exposed onsite soils to petroleum hydrocarbons over many years. Contamination in the form of gasoline, diesel, and heavy oil has been identified in soil and groundwater; the facility subsequently shifted to a biodegradable vegetable oil-based release agent to prevent further releases. No active remediation has commenced, and the site remains in the investigation and planning phase. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 contamination at this property did not result from a spill or accident — it was the cumulative product of a deliberate, repeated manufacturing process: spraying diesel fuel onto concrete molds as part of normal production operations, a practice the 2001 Phase II ESA confirmed had been standard procedure for years. A CGL policy in force during the years that diesel-spray routine was active would have attached to exactly this contamination profile — gradual, process-sourced petroleum hydrocarbons released incrementally by an industrial operation that almost certainly predated 1986. Historical carriers who issued policies during that pre-1986 operational window may be obligated to fund the investigation and remediation costs this 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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
