This property has a documented history as a bulk fuel distribution terminal predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could help fund the ongoing and future cleanup under Oregon DEQ oversight.
Pacific Fuels LLC operates a bulk fuel facility on SW Pacific Highway in Washington County with regulated underground storage tanks containing diesel and unleaded gasoline. A release discovered in June 2025 — attributed to corrosion of the tank infrastructure — has confirmed contamination in soil and groundwater, including the presence of free product. Oregon DEQ has assigned the site for active investigation, and with no remedial actions yet completed, the full scope of groundwater delineation and free-product recovery work lies ahead. 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 corrosion-driven failure of underground storage tank infrastructure at this bulk fuel facility — discovered in June 2025 and confirmed to have impacted soil and groundwater with the presence of free product — points to contamination conditions that may have developed over an extended operational history reaching back before 1986. The investigation, groundwater delineation, free-product recovery, remediation, and long-term monitoring work that lies ahead under Oregon DEQ oversight represents substantial future costs that historical pre-1986 carriers may be obligated 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
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.