This property has a documented history as an industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1915. 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 hosted pharmaceutical manufacturing operations — including production of vaccines, serums, and biological products — from 1915 through 1948, followed by a printing and publishing operation from 1956 to 1976 that generated waste inks, solvents, and heavy metals from photographic processes. Arsenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated solvents including trichloroethylene (TCE), benzene, lead, and pesticides have been detected in soil and groundwater, consistent with decades of industrial use. Groundwater contamination was confirmed in 2026, with TCE identified as a vapor intrusion concern and the shallow water table estimated at 10–15 feet below ground surface with northeast flow toward neighboring properties. The site is an active Wisconsin DNR Environmental Remediation Program case with investigation and remediation work underway. 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 property span more than six decades before 1986, beginning with pharmaceutical manufacturing in 1915 and continuing through printing and publishing operations into the mid-1970s. The groundwater investigation, vapor intrusion assessment, and remediation work ahead under Wisconsin DNR oversight represent substantial 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.