This property has a documented history as an industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1956. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could help fund the multi-phase investigation and remediation work ahead under Wisconsin DNR oversight.
This property served as a small engine manufacturing facility from 1956 through 2006, with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination attributable to decades of industrial operations — PCBs were banned by the EPA in 1979, confirming the contamination's pre-1986 origin. PCB-contaminated sediment has been documented across approximately 8.5 miles of downstream waterways, and remediation efforts between 2001 and 2020 removed over 140,000 tons of contaminated sediment and soil across multiple operable units. Fish consumption advisory signs have been posted along affected reaches, and the site remains an active Wisconsin DNR Environmental Remediation Program case with long-term surface water and sediment oversight continuing. 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 Wisconsin — 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.
Industrial operations at this facility began in 1956 and continued for three decades before 1986, during the period when PCB contamination originated and migrated through downstream waterways. The ongoing surface water and sediment evaluation, natural recovery assessment, and any additional remediation required across multiple operable units represent future costs that those historical 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.