This property has a documented history as an automobile dealership predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could help fund the cleanup that lies ahead.
This former automobile dealership in Marion County operated with hydraulic lifts that left polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in soil near the lift location — a contaminant banned nationally in 1979, confirming a pre-1986 origin. Gasoline and diesel from the dealership's operations also impact groundwater at the site. Oregon DEQ has designated a responsible party under agreement or order, and the site remains in the investigation stage under the Leaking Underground Storage Tank program at low priority, with no No Further Action determination issued and no remediation completed. 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 PCB contamination and petroleum releases at this property trace to automotive dealership operations — including hydraulic lifts and fuel handling — that were active well before 1986, with PCBs banned nationally by 1979 confirming the pre-1986 origin of the site's contamination. With investigation still underway under Oregon DEQ's Leaking Underground Storage Tank program, remediation not yet commenced, and no closure determination issued, the cleanup costs this property faces remain entirely ahead, and historical pre-1986 carriers that insured operators during those years may be obligated to fund the investigation, remediation, and ongoing compliance work still required.
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
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.