Landfill cleanup site — Restorical Research
Cedar Sauk Landfill
Cedarburg, Ozaukee County
Restorical Research
Preliminary Site-Specific Analysis

This property has a documented history as a landfill predating 1986. 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 operated as a landfill with a history of waste disposal that the Wisconsin DNR has designated as historic contamination. Boron and sulfate — contaminants consistent with landfill leachate — have been confirmed in groundwater and have migrated beyond the property boundary, prompting the site's enrollment in the Wisconsin DNR Environmental Remediation Program in late 2024. Investigation into the full extent of groundwater contamination and offsite migration is 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.

Former Use
Former Landfill
LocationCedarburg, Ozaukee County
Historical UseLandfill
Est. Operating SincePredating 1986
DNR ProgramEnvironmental Remediation Program
Contamination & Investigation
Site Assessment Summary
ContaminantsBoron and sulfate (landfill leachate) in groundwater, with confirmed offsite migration
Regulatory ProgramWisconsin DNR — NR 700
BRRTS #02-46-595880

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.

Landfill operations and waste disposal at this property occurred before 1986, during the years when the businesses that operated here generated the contamination that the Wisconsin DNR has since confirmed in groundwater. The ongoing groundwater investigation, offsite migration assessment, and remediation required to address boron and sulfate contamination under the Environmental Remediation Program represent future costs that historical pre-1986 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

Task 1 — Research and Analysis
Restorical searches for viable historical insurance policies, researches the site history, analyzes the contamination impacts, and underwrites potential coverage — including a proprietary trigger analysis. At the end of Task 1, we provide a clear yes or no on whether viable insurance coverage exists to fund the cleanup, along with a strategy and recommendation specific to your situation, even if you are not the policyholder.
Task 2 — Coverage and Funding
When Task 1 confirms viable coverage, Restorical works with your legal counsel to tender the claim, negotiate and secure insurance coverage. Restorical will manage the ongoing claim process, including accounting to ensure the insurance companies are funding your remediation in a timely manner.

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This analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.