This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal going back to 1941. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could help fund the ongoing and future cleanup under Oregon DEQ oversight.
This former bulk petroleum storage facility operated from approximately 1941 through 1982 under General Petroleum, Mobil Oil, and subsequent local jobbers, with aboveground storage tanks removed circa 1982 after more than four decades of continuous fuel distribution operations. Petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), BTEX, chlorinated solvents, and naphthalene have been confirmed in both soil and groundwater. ExxonMobil Environmental & Property Solutions filed a Voluntary Cleanup Program intake with Oregon DEQ in May 2025, and the site is now an assigned cleanup project in the early investigation stage with no No Further Action determination on record. 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.
Contamination at this property originated from bulk petroleum storage and distribution operations that ran continuously from the early 1940s through 1982, placing the site's entire contaminating history before 1986. Pre-1986 carriers whose policies were in effect during those four decades of bulk plant operations may be obligated to fund the investigation, remediation, and long-term groundwater monitoring costs this property still faces under Oregon DEQ's Voluntary Cleanup Program.
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.