This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1955. 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 dry-cleaning facility operated continuously from 1955 to approximately 1980, first under Clyde Ramsey (1955–1973) and then under Jimmy and Helen Eichman (1973–~1980), processing garments with perchloroethylene (PERC). Oregon DEQ confirms contamination in all four investigated media — soil, groundwater, soil gas, and indoor air — with active vapor intrusion occurring at the property. A Phase II Environmental Site Assessment work plan was prepared in June 2021 under an EPA Brownfields Cooperative Agreement through the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, but the site remains in early investigation 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.
PERC releases at this property trace to dry-cleaning operations that ran from 1955 to approximately 1980 — placing all contaminating activity entirely before 1986. With contamination confirmed in soil, groundwater, soil gas, and indoor air and vapor intrusion actively occurring, the investigation, delineation, and remediation work ahead represents substantial ongoing and future costs that pre-1986 carriers whose policies were in effect during those decades of dry-cleaning operations may be obligated to fund going forward.
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.