COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

Environmental Matters

Accruals for environmental matters are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated, based on current law and existing technologies.

At September 30, 2016, the Corporation had accrued obligations of $103 million for probable environmental remediation and restoration costs, including $19 million for the remediation of Superfund sites. These obligations are included in "Accrued and other current liabilities" and "Other noncurrent obligations" in the consolidated balance sheets. This is management’s best estimate of the costs for remediation and restoration with respect to environmental matters for which the Corporation has accrued liabilities, although it is reasonably possible that the ultimate cost with respect to these particular matters could range up to approximately three times that amount. Consequently, it is reasonably possible that environmental remediation and restoration costs in excess of amounts accrued could have a material impact on the Corporation's results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. It is the opinion of the Corporation’s management that the possibility is remote that costs in excess of the range disclosed will have a material impact on the Corporation’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Inherent uncertainties exist in these estimates primarily due to unknown environmental conditions, changing governmental regulations and legal standards regarding liability, and emerging remediation technologies for handling site remediation and restoration. At December 31, 2015, the Corporation had accrued obligations of $115 million for probable environmental remediation and restoration costs, including $21 million for the remediation of Superfund sites.

Litigation

The Corporation is involved in a number of legal proceedings and claims with both private and governmental parties. These cover a wide range of matters, including, but not limited to: product liability; trade regulation; governmental regulatory proceedings; health, safety and environmental matters; employment; patents; contracts; taxes; and commercial disputes.

Asbestos-Related Matters

Separately, the Corporation is and has been involved in a large number of asbestos-related suits filed primarily in state courts during the past four decades. These suits principally allege personal injury resulting from exposure to asbestos-containing products and frequently seek both actual and punitive damages. The alleged claims primarily relate to products that UCC sold in the past, alleged exposure to asbestos-containing products located on UCC’s premises and UCC’s responsibility for asbestos suits filed against a former UCC subsidiary, Amchem Products, Inc. (“Amchem”). In many cases, plaintiffs are unable to demonstrate that they have suffered any compensable loss as a result of such exposure, or that injuries incurred in fact resulted from exposure to the Corporation’s products.

The Corporation expects more asbestos-related suits to be filed against UCC and Amchem in the future, and will aggressively defend or reasonably resolve, as appropriate, both pending and future claims.

Based on a study completed in January 2003 by Analysis, Research & Planning Corporation (now known as Ankura Consulting Group, LLC ("Ankura") as a result of the March 2016 merger of Analysis, Research & Planning Corporation and Ankura), the Corporation increased its December 31, 2002 asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims for the 15-year period ending in 2017 to $2.2 billion, excluding future defense and processing costs. Since then, the Corporation has compared current asbestos claim and resolution activity to the results of the most recent Ankura study at each balance sheet date to determine whether the accrual continues to be appropriate. In addition, the Corporation has requested Ankura to review the Corporation’s historical asbestos claim and resolution activity each year since 2004 to determine the appropriateness of updating the most recent Ankura study.

In October 2015, the Corporation requested Ankura to review its historical asbestos claim and resolution activity and determine the appropriateness of updating its December 2014 study. In response to that request, Ankura reviewed and analyzed data through September 30, 2015. In December 2015, Ankura stated that an update of its study would not provide a more likely estimate of future events than the estimate reflected in the December 2014 study and, therefore, the estimate in that study remained applicable. Based on the Corporation's own review of the asbestos claim and resolution activity and Ankura's response, the Corporation determined that no change to the accrual was required. The Corporation's asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims was $437 million at December 31, 2015, and approximately 21 percent of the recorded liability related to pending claims and approximately 79 percent related to future claims.

Based on the Corporation’s review of 2016 activity, it was determined that no adjustment to the accrual was required at September 30, 2016. The Corporation’s asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims was $398 million at September 30, 2016. Approximately 22 percent of the recorded liability related to pending claims and approximately 78 percent related to future claims.

The Corporation has receivables for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability as well as receivables for defense and resolution costs submitted to insurance carriers that have settlement agreements in place regarding their asbestos-related insurance coverage. The Corporation continues to believe that its recorded receivable for insurance recoveries from all insurance carriers is probable of collection. At September 30, 2016, the Corporation's receivable for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability and defense and resolution costs was $41 million ($61 million at December 31, 2015).

The Corporation expenses defense costs as incurred. The pretax impact for defense and resolution costs, net of insurance, was $20 million for the third quarter of 2016 ($20 million in the third quarter of 2015) and $55 million in the first nine months of 2016 ($65 million in the first nine months of 2015), and reflected in “Cost of sales” in the consolidated statements of income.

Summary

The amounts recorded by the Corporation for the asbestos-related liability and related insurance receivable described above were based upon current, known facts. However, future events, such as the number of new claims to be filed and/or received each year, the average cost of disposing of each such claim, coverage issues among insurers and the continuing solvency of various insurance companies, as well as the numerous uncertainties surrounding asbestos litigation in the United States, could cause the actual costs and insurance recoveries for the Corporation to be higher or lower than those projected or those recorded.

Because of the uncertainties described above, the Corporation's management cannot estimate the full range of the cost of resolving pending and future asbestos-related claims facing UCC and Amchem. The Corporation's management believes that it is reasonably possible that the cost of disposing of the Corporation’s asbestos-related claims, including future defense costs, could have a material impact on the Corporation's results of operations and cash flows for a particular period and on the consolidated financial position of the Corporation.

While it is not possible at this time to determine with certainty the ultimate outcome of any of the legal proceedings and claims referred to in this filing, management believes that adequate provisions have been made for probable losses with respect to pending claims and proceedings, and that, except for the asbestos-related matters described above, the ultimate outcome of all known and future claims, after provisions for insurance, will not have a material adverse impact on the results of operations, cash flows and financial position of the Corporation. Should any losses be sustained in connection with any of such legal proceedings and claims in excess of provisions provided and available insurance, they will be charged to income when determinable.

Purchase Commitments

A summary of the Corporation's purchase commitments can be found in Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. There have been no material changes to purchase commitments since December 31, 2015.