XML 29 R20.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.19.1
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS, COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS, COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS, COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Legal Proceedings

We are party to various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. We are not currently a party to any legal proceeding that management believes could have a material adverse effect on our Consolidated Balance Sheet, Consolidated Statement of Operations, or Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.

Environmental Matters

Site Remediation

Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) – commonly known as the Superfund – and similar state laws, we:
are a party to various proceedings related to the cleanup of hazardous waste sites and
have been notified that we may be a potentially responsible party related to the cleanup of other hazardous waste sites for which proceedings have not yet been initiated.

As of March 31, 2019, our total accrual for future estimated remediation costs on the active Superfund sites and other sites for which we are potentially responsible was approximately $62 million. These amounts are recorded in "Accrued liabilities" and "Other liabilities" on our Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Asset Retirement Obligations

We have obligations associated with the future retirement of tangible long-lived assets consisting primarily of reforestation obligations related to forest management licenses in Canada and obligations to close and cap landfills. As of March 31, 2019, our accrued balance for these obligations was $32 million. These obligations are recorded in "Accrued liabilities" and "Other liabilities" on our Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Some of our sites have materials containing asbestos. We have met our current legal obligation to identify and manage these materials. In situations where we cannot reasonably determine when materials containing asbestos might be removed from the sites, we have not recorded an accrual because the fair value of the obligation cannot be reasonably estimated.