This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1961. 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.
Three successive dry-cleaning tenants operated at this property from 1961 through 2008, using chlorinated solvents including tetrachloroethylene (PCE) stored in an approximately 300-gallon aboveground tank in the basement. An extensive monitoring well network — MW-1 through MW-9 plus piezometers — has undergone semi-annual groundwater sampling since 1997, confirming contamination by PCE, trichloroethylene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride, with PCE concentrations exceeding Wisconsin NR 140 Enforcement Standards. The groundwater plume extends beyond the property boundary, and an active off-site utility vapor investigation in adjacent sanitary sewer lines has been underway since 2024, with the site remaining an open Wisconsin DNR Environmental Remediation Program case. 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.
Dry-cleaning operations using chlorinated solvents began at this property in 1961 and continued for twenty-five years before 1986, placing the origin of PCE and related solvent contamination squarely within the pre-1986 window. The ongoing groundwater monitoring, off-site sewer vapor investigation, and remediation work required to address a chlorinated solvent plume that has migrated beyond the property boundary 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
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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.