This property has a documented history as a landfill going back to 1955. 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.
Auto salvage yard operations at this property ran from approximately 1955 through the early 1980s, with peak activity between 1963 and 1970, utilizing aboveground storage tanks that held automobile fluids during salvage processing. Historic fill consisting of soil intermixed with construction and demolition debris was also placed on the property in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, and lead have been confirmed in soil and groundwater across investigation campaigns from 1998 through the 2025 Site Investigation Report, with dissolved arsenic, cadmium, and lead exceeding Wisconsin NR 140 preventive action limits and enforcement standards in monitoring wells. The site is an active Wisconsin DNR Environmental Remediation Program case with remedial action options currently under evaluation. 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.
Auto salvage operations at this property began in approximately 1955 and continued through the early 1980s, placing more than two decades of contaminating activity squarely in the pre-1986 window. The site investigation, groundwater monitoring, and remediation work required to address widespread metals and organic contamination represent ongoing and 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.