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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Legal Proceedings
We are subject to extensive and evolving laws and regulations and have implemented safeguards to respond to regulatory requirements. In the normal course of our business, we become involved in legal proceedings. Some may result in fines, penalties or judgments against us, or settlements, which may impact earnings and cash flows for a particular period. Although we cannot predict the ultimate outcome of any legal matter with certainty, we do not believe the outcome of any of our pending legal proceedings will have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
As used herein, the term legal proceedings refers to litigation and similar claims against us and our subsidiaries, excluding: (1) ordinary course accidents, general commercial liability and workers' compensation claims, which are covered by insurance programs, subject to customary deductibles, and which, together with insured employee health care costs, are discussed in Note 5, Other Liabilities; and (2) environmental remediation liabilities, which are discussed in Note 6, Landfill and Environmental Costs.
We accrue for legal proceedings when losses become probable and reasonably estimable. We have recorded an aggregate accrual of approximately $25 million relating to our outstanding legal proceedings as of September 30, 2020. As of the end of each applicable reporting period, we review each of our legal proceedings and, where it is probable that a liability has been incurred, we accrue for all probable and reasonably estimable losses. Where we can reasonably estimate a range of losses we may incur regarding such a matter, we record an accrual for the amount within the range that constitutes our best estimate. If we can reasonably estimate a range but no amount within the range appears to be a better estimate than any other, we use the
amount that is the low end of such range. If we had used the high ends of such ranges, our aggregate potential liability would be approximately $9 million higher than the amount recorded as of September 30, 2020.
Multiemployer Pension Plans
We participate in multiemployer pension plans that generally provide retirement benefits to participants of contributing employers. We do not administer these plans.
Under current law regarding multiemployer pension plans, a plan’s termination, our voluntary withdrawal (which we consider from time to time) or the mass withdrawal of all contributing employers from any under-funded multiemployer pension plan (each, a Withdrawal Event) would require us to make payments to the plan for our proportionate share of the plan’s unfunded vested liabilities. During the course of operating our business, we incur Withdrawal Events regarding certain of the multiemployer pension plans in which we participate. We accrue for such events when losses become probable and reasonably estimable.
In June 2020, we entered into an agreement with a certain multiemployer pension fund through which we transitioned from one plan into another plan managed by the same fund, thus creating a withdrawal event from the original plan. As a result of the withdrawal event, we recognized $31.6 million of withdrawal costs, which we paid in July 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets, which has negatively impacted companies across the globe. We will continue to monitor the Pension Protection Act zone status of the multiemployer pension plans in which we participate, noting that the current economic environment may impact certain contributing employers' ability to fulfill their obligations under the plans. We believe the largest risk is attributable to plans in the critical red zone, which are less than 65% funded. In the event other contributing employers default on their obligations under the plans, we could be required to adjust our estimates for these matters, which could have a material and adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
Restricted Cash and Marketable Securities
Restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents are included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. Beginning-of-period and end-of-period cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents as presented in the statement of cash flows is reconciled as follows:
September 30, 2020December 31, 2019September 30, 2019December 31, 2018
Cash and cash equivalents$406.4 $47.1 $55.6 $70.5 
Restricted cash and marketable securities145.2 179.4 121.3 108.1 
Less: restricted marketable securities(62.4)(49.1)(48.3)(45.3)
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents$489.2 $177.4 $128.6 $133.3 
Our restricted cash and marketable securities include, among other things, restricted cash and marketable securities pledged to regulatory agencies and governmental entities as financial guarantees of our performance under certain collection, landfill and transfer station contracts and permits, and relating to our final capping, closure and post-closure obligations at our landfills, restricted cash and marketable securities related to our insurance obligations, and restricted cash related to a payment for a certain maturing tax-exempt financing.
The following table summarizes our restricted cash and marketable securities:
September 30, 2020December 31, 2019
Capping, closure and post-closure obligations$31.4 $30.6 
Insurance113.8 99.4 
Payment for maturing tax-exempt financing— 49.4 
Total restricted cash and marketable securities$145.2 $179.4 
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have no off-balance sheet debt or similar obligations, other than short-term operating leases and financial assurances, which are not classified as debt. We have no transactions or obligations with related parties that are not disclosed, consolidated into or reflected in our reported financial position or results of operations. We have not guaranteed any third-party debt.