This property has a documented history as an industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1910. 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 industrial use since approximately 1910, with documented operations including bridge construction and manufacturing through the mid-1960s, followed by commercial laundry equipment and cement mixer drum manufacturing from the late 1960s through 1982. Abrasive blasting, paint booth operations, scrap and salvage handling, petroleum storage, and auto maintenance were also conducted on-site, and industrial fill material — including cinders, slag, foundry sand, and metal fragments — overlies native clay across the property. Chlorinated solvents including trichloroethylene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride have been detected above Wisconsin DNR NR 140 Enforcement Standards in groundwater, and soil sampling has confirmed benzene, TCE, 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), lead, arsenic, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at concentrations exceeding soil-to-groundwater pathway residual contaminant levels. 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 site began more than seven decades before 1986 and continued through the early 1980s, placing the contaminating activities squarely in the pre-1986 window. The multi-phase investigation and remediation work ahead — including groundwater treatment, soil remediation, and long-term monitoring required to meet NR 140 Enforcement Standards under Wisconsin DNR Environmental Remediation Program oversight — 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.