This property has a documented history as an industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1985. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could help fund the ongoing and future cleanup under Oregon DEQ oversight.

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.

Incinerator operations that contaminated this property's soil and groundwater with dioxins, heavy metals, PCBs, and chlorinated compounds — confirmed at levels exceeding residential risk-based concentrations across multiple monitoring wells — began in 1985, before 1986, and continued for nearly four decades. As the site proceeds through Oregon DEQ's Voluntary Cleanup Program, the substantial investigation, remediation, and long-term monitoring work ahead represents cleanup costs that historical pre-1986 carriers 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.