The Company is subject to a variety of environmental and pollution control laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which it operates. The Company has been notified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, other national environmental agencies, and various provincial and state agencies it may be a potentially responsible party (“PRP”) under such laws for the cost of remediating hazardous substances pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ("CERCLA") and other national and state or provincial environmental laws. PRP designation typically requires the funding of site investigations and subsequent remedial activities. Many of the sites that are likely to be the costliest to remediate are often current or former commercial waste disposal facilities to which numerous companies sent wastes. Despite the potential joint and several liability which might be imposed on the Company under CERCLA and some of the other laws pertaining to these sites, its share of the total waste sent to these sites generally has been small. The Company believes its exposure for liability at these sites is not material.

On a global basis, the Company has also identified certain other present and former properties at which it may be responsible for cleaning up or addressing environmental contamination, in some cases as a result of contractual commitments and/or federal or state environmental laws. The Company is seeking to resolve its responsibilities for those sites for which a claim has been received.

Based on information known to the Company from site investigations and the professional judgment of consultants, the Company has established reserves it believes are adequate for these costs. Although the Company believes these estimates of remediation costs are reasonable and are based on the latest available information, the costs are estimates, difficult to quantify based on the complexity of the issues, and are subject to revision as more information becomes available about the extent of remediation required. At some sites, the Company expects other parties will contribute to the remediation costs. In addition, certain environmental statutes provide the Company's liability could be joint and several, meaning the Company could be required to pay amounts in excess of its share of remediation costs. The financial strength of the other PRPs at these sites has been considered, where appropriate, in the determination of the estimated liability. The Company does not believe any potential costs associated with its current status as a PRP, or as a liable party at the other locations referenced herein, will be material to its annual consolidated financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.

On March 25, 2014, representatives of the European Commission (EC) were at Tenneco GmbH's Edenkoben, Germany administrative facility to gather information in connection with an ongoing global antitrust investigation concerning multiple automotive suppliers. On the same date, the Company also received a related subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”).

On November 5, 2014, the DOJ granted conditional leniency to the Company, its subsidiaries, and its 50% affiliates as of such date ("2014 Tenneco Entities") pursuant to an agreement the Company entered into under the Antitrust Division's Corporate Leniency Policy. This agreement provides important benefits to the 2014 Tenneco Entities in exchange for the Company's self-reporting of matters to the DOJ and its continuing full cooperation with the DOJ's resulting investigation. For example, the DOJ will not bring any criminal antitrust prosecution against the 2014 Tenneco Entities, nor seek any criminal fines or penalties, in connection with the matters the Company reported to the DOJ. Additionally, there are limits on the liability of the 2014 Tenneco Entities related to any follow-on civil antitrust litigation in the United States. The limits include single rather than treble damages, as well as relief from joint and several antitrust liability with other relevant civil antitrust action defendants. These limits are subject to the Company satisfying the DOJ and any court presiding over such follow-on civil litigation.

Certain other competition agencies are also investigating possible violations of antitrust laws relating to products supplied by the Company and its subsidiaries, including Federal-Mogul. The Company has cooperated and continues to cooperate fully with all of these antitrust investigations and take other actions to minimize its potential exposure.

The Company and certain of its competitors are also currently defendants in civil putative class action litigation and are subject to similar claims filed by other plaintiffs, in the United States and Canada. More related lawsuits may be filed, including in other jurisdictions. Plaintiffs in these cases generally allege that defendants have engaged in anticompetitive conduct, in violation of federal and state laws, relating to the sale of automotive exhaust systems or components thereof. Plaintiffs seek to recover, on behalf of themselves and various purported classes of purchasers, injunctive relief, damages and attorneys’ fees.

However, as explained above, because the DOJ granted conditional leniency to the 2014 Tenneco Entities, the Company's civil liability in U.S. follow-on actions with respect to these entities is limited to single damages and the Company will not be jointly and severally liable with the other defendants, provided that the Company has satisfied its obligations under the DOJ leniency agreement and approval is granted by the presiding court. Typically, exposure for follow-on actions in Canada is less than the exposure for U.S. follow-on actions.

Following the EC's decision to administratively close its antitrust inquiry into exhaust systems in 2017, receipt by the 2014 Tenneco Entities of conditional leniency from the DOJ and discussions during the third quarter of 2017 following the appointment of a special settlement master in the civil putative class action cases pending against the Company and/or certain of its competitors in the United States, the Company continues to vigorously defend itself and/or take actions to minimize its potential exposure to matters pertaining to the global antitrust investigation, including engaging in settlement discussions when it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. For example, in October 2017, the Company settled an administrative action brought by Brazil's competition authority for an amount that was not material. In December 2018, the Company settled a separate administrative action brought by Brazil’s competition authority against a Federal-Mogul subsidiary, also for an amount that was not material.

Additionally, in February 2018, the Company settled civil putative class action litigation in the United States brought by classes of direct purchasers, end-payors and auto dealers. No other classes of plaintiffs have brought claims against the Company in the United States. Based upon those earlier developments, including settlement discussions, the Company established a reserve of $132 million in its second quarter 2017 financial results for settlement costs that were probable, reasonably estimable, and expected to be necessary to resolve its antitrust matters globally, which primarily involves the resolution of civil suits and related claims. Of the $132 million reserve that was established, $109 million has been paid through June 30, 2020, which included $30 million paid in the six months ended June 30, 2020 from amounts that were included in the reserve. In connection with the resolution of certain claims, $9 million was released from the reserve in the third quarter of 2019. At June 30, 2020, the reserve was $14 million, of which $2 million was recorded in accrued expenses and other current liabilities and $12 million was recorded in deferred credits and other liabilities in the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets. While the Company, including its Federal-Mogul subsidiaries, continues to cooperate with certain competition agencies investigating possible violations of antitrust laws relating to products supplied by the Company, and the Company may be subject to other civil lawsuits and/or related claims, no amount of this reserve is attributable to matters with the DOJ or the EC, and no such amount is expected based on current information.

The Company's reserve for its antitrust matters is based upon all currently available information and an assessment of the probability of events for those matters where the Company can make a reasonable estimate of the costs to resolve such outstanding matters. The Company's estimate involves significant judgment, given the number, variety and potential outcomes of actual and potential claims, the uncertainty of future rulings and approvals by a court or other authority, the behavior or incentives of adverse parties or regulatory authorities, and other factors outside of its control. As a result, the Company's reserve may change from time to time, and actual costs may vary. Although the ultimate outcome of any legal matter cannot be predicted with certainty, based on current information, the Company does not expect any such change in the reserve will have a material adverse effect on the Company's annual consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

With respect to the claims filed in the United States, the substantial majority of the claims are related to alleged exposure to asbestos in the Company's line of Walker® exhaust automotive products although a significant number of those claims appear also to involve occupational exposures sustained in industries other than automotive. A small number of claims have been asserted against one of the Company's subsidiaries by railroad workers alleging exposure to asbestos products in railroad cars. The Company believes, based on scientific and other evidence, it is unlikely that U.S. claimants were exposed to asbestos by the Company's former products and that, in any event, they would not be at increased risk of asbestos-related disease based on their work with these products. Further, many of these cases involve numerous defendants. Additionally, in many cases the plaintiffs either do not specify any, or specify the jurisdictional minimum, dollar amount for damages.

With respect to the claims filed in Europe, the substantial majority relate to occupational exposure claims brought by current and former employees of Federal-Mogul facilities in France and amounts paid out were not material. A small number of occupational exposure claims have also been asserted against Federal-Mogul entities in Italy and Spain.

As major asbestos manufacturers and/or users continue to go out of business or file for bankruptcy, the Company may experience an increased number of these claims. The Company vigorously defends itself against these claims as part of its ordinary course of business. In future periods, the Company could be subject to cash costs or charges to earnings if any of these matters are resolved unfavorably to the Company. To date, with respect to claims that have proceeded sufficiently through the judicial process, the Company has regularly achieved favorable resolutions. Accordingly, the Company presently believes that these asbestos-related claims will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's annual consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

The Company is also from time to time involved in other legal proceedings, claims or investigations. Some of these matters involve allegations of damages against the Company relating to environmental liabilities (including toxic tort, property damage and remediation), intellectual property matters (including patent, trademark and copyright infringement, and licensing disputes), personal injury claims (including injuries due to product failure, design or warning issues, and other product liability related matters), taxes, unclaimed property, employment matters, advertising matters, and commercial or contractual disputes, sometimes related to acquisitions or divestitures. Additionally, some of these matters involve allegations relating to legal compliance.

While the Company vigorously defends itself against all of these legal proceedings, claims and investigations and take other actions to minimize its potential exposure, in future periods, the Company could be subject to cash costs or charges to earnings if any of these matters are resolved on unfavorable terms. Although the ultimate outcome of any legal matter cannot be predicted with certainty, based on current information, including the Company's assessment of the merits of the particular claim, the Company does not expect the legal proceedings, claims or investigations currently pending against it will have any material adverse effect on its annual consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

The Company’s primary asset retirement obligations ("ARO") activities relate to the removal of hazardous building materials at its facilities. The Company records an ARO at fair value upon initial recognition when the amount is probable and can be reasonably estimated. ARO fair values are determined based on the Company’s determination of what a third party would charge to perform the remediation activities, generally using a present value technique.

The Company provides warranties on some of its products. The warranty terms vary but range from one year up to limited lifetime warranties on some of its premium aftermarket products. Provisions for estimated expenses related to product warranty are made at the time products are sold or when specific warranty issues are identified with the Company's products. These estimates are established using historical information about the nature, frequency, and average cost of warranty claims. The Company believes the warranty reserve is appropriate; however, actual claims incurred could differ from the original estimates, requiring adjustments to the reserve. The reserve is included in both current and long-term liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.