This property has a documented history as an industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1900. 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 has been in continuous industrial use since the early 1900s, with fire suppression equipment manufacturing operations spanning decades before and after 1986. Arsenic, tetrachloroethylene (PCE), and trichloroethylene (TCE) have been confirmed in groundwater, with contamination investigations in bedrock aquifers documented as early as 1976 and a hazardous substance discharge notification filed with Wisconsin DNR in 1978. Remediation infrastructure includes a vertical barrier wall, an extraction well network, and a groundwater collection and treatment system operating since approximately 2010, along with a major Menominee River sediment dredging and removal project completed between 2011 and 2014. Offsite soil contamination has also been addressed through engineered cover systems, and quarterly groundwater monitoring and extraction well operations continue under Wisconsin DNR Environmental Remediation Program and EPA oversight. 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 manufacturing operations at this site began in the early 1900s and continued through the 1986 threshold, with groundwater contamination documented as early as 1976 — placing the contaminating activity firmly in the pre-1986 window. The ongoing groundwater extraction and treatment, quarterly monitoring, and long-term compliance obligations at this site 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
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.