This property has a documented history as an industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could help fund the cleanup that lies ahead.
This industrial property along North Columbia Boulevard in Multnomah County was formerly occupied by Armour Meat Co., a meatpacking operation with roots in the 1800s. Groundwater sampling conducted between 1991 and 1996 confirmed chlorinated solvent contamination — trichloroethylene (TCE) at concentrations up to 27 ppb in nearby monitoring wells, along with tetrachloroethylene (PCE), 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), and toluene detected in borings and wells along the corridor. A 1997 site assessment recommended a discovery project to identify contamination sources, but no remediation or further investigation has been documented, and the site remains unassigned on Oregon DEQ's inventory with no No Further Action determination issued. That history could support an insurance coverage claim against the carriers who issued policies more than 40 years ago — coverage that could help fund the cleanup ahead.
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 Oregon — and those policies may provide coverage that remains enforceable today. 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 chlorinated solvent contamination at this property is rooted in meatpacking and industrial operations dating to the 1800s, placing the contaminating activities well before 1986. With the site still listed on Oregon DEQ's cleanup inventory and no source investigation or remediation yet undertaken, the full scope of costs this property still faces — source identification, contamination delineation, groundwater remediation, and long-term monitoring — may fall to historical pre-1986 carriers to fund.
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
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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.