This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1939. 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.

Fueling operations at this property began as early as 1939, as documented by Sanborn fire insurance maps showing underground storage tanks on site, placing nearly five decades of gasoline storage and dispensing activity squarely within the pre-1986 window. The groundwater remediation, soil cleanup beneath adjacent public rights-of-way, and ongoing monitoring required under this active Wisconsin DNR LUST program case to achieve NR 140 compliance represent future costs that the historical 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.