This property has a documented history as an industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1884. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could help fund the cleanup that lies ahead.
This property dates to the 1880s and has hosted over a century of industrial and commercial operations, including a paint store (1903–1923) and a printing operation that used hot lead typesetting from 1934 to 2015. Petroleum hydrocarbons from a historical gasoline underground storage tank release at an adjacent Chevron station have migrated into subsurface soil and shallow groundwater, while total lead in groundwater samples exceeds Oregon DEQ tap water ingestion risk-based concentrations. Sub-slab soil gas sampling has identified vapor intrusion concerns, and a Phase I ESA recommended further Phase II investigation to delineate the full extent of impacts. Although a Prospective Purchaser Agreement was completed in 2021, no No Further Action determination has been issued and contamination in soil, groundwater, and soil gas remains unresolved. 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 contamination at this property — lead from hot-type printing operations conducted from 1934 to 2015 and petroleum hydrocarbons that migrated from a historical underground storage tank release at an adjacent gasoline station — originated well before 1986, on a site that has hosted industrial and commercial activity since the 1880s. The further investigation, delineation, and remediation costs this property still faces — spanning soil, groundwater, and vapor intrusion pathways where contamination remains unresolved under Oregon DEQ oversight — are precisely the type of future obligations 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
Stay up to date on environmental property cleanup laws and changes.
Report Email Updates
Request more information on this property
Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.