This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could help fund the ongoing cleanup and groundwater monitoring obligations that Wisconsin DNR continues to oversee.

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.

The 1990 underground storage tank installation at this property likely replaced earlier petroleum infrastructure, a pattern consistent with the long operational histories of service station sites and suggesting that fueling operations here may date back well before 1986. The groundwater remediation needed to address benzene and trimethylbenzene concentrations exceeding NR 140 standards, the TCE vapor intrusion investigation, and the ongoing compliance monitoring required under Wisconsin DNR LUST program oversight represent substantial future costs that carriers insuring the businesses that operated here before 1986 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.