XML 114 R10.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Use of Estimates and Assumptions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Use of Estimates and Assumptions [Abstract]  
Use of Estimates and Assumptions

2.USE OF ESTIMATES AND ASSUMPTIONS 

In preparing the Company’s consolidated financial statements, several estimates and assumptions are made that affect the accounting for and recognition of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses.  These estimates and assumptions must be made because certain of the information that is used in the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements is dependent on future events, cannot be calculated with a high degree of precision from data available or is simply not capable of being readily calculated based on generally accepted methodologies.  In some cases, these estimates are particularly difficult to determine and the Company must exercise significant judgment.  The most difficult, subjective and complex estimates and the assumptions that deal with the greatest amount of uncertainty are related to the Company’s accounting for landfills, self-insurance accruals, income taxes, allocation of acquisition purchase price, contingent consideration accruals and asset impairments, which are discussed in Note 1.  An additional area that involves estimation is when the Company estimates the amount of potential exposure it may have with respect to litigation, claims and assessments in accordance with the accounting guidance on contingencies.  Actual results for all estimates could differ materially from the estimates and assumptions that the Company uses in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements.