Commitments and Contingencies

Discontinued Operations

Kaiser

In 2006, we sold our entire equity interest in our Brazilian unit, Cervejarias Kaiser Brasil S.A. ("Kaiser") to FEMSA Cerveza S.A. de C.V. ("FEMSA"). The terms of the sale agreement require us to indemnify FEMSA for certain exposures related to tax, civil and labor contingencies arising prior to FEMSA's purchase of Kaiser. In addition, we provided an indemnity to FEMSA for losses Kaiser may incur with respect to tax claims associated with certain previously utilized purchased tax credits. The discontinued operations balances within the current and non-current liabilities of our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets consist entirely of our estimates of these liabilities. These liabilities are denominated in Brazilian Reais and are therefore subject to foreign exchange gains or losses, which are recognized in the discontinued operations section of the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. There have been no changes in the underlying liabilities since December 31, 2015; therefore, all changes in the current and non-current liabilities of discontinued operations during the first three quarters of 2016 are due to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from December 31, 2015, to September 30, 2016. During the three months ended September 30, 2016, and September 30, 2015, we recognized zero impact and gains of $2.9 million, respectively, from discontinued operations associated with foreign exchange gains and losses related to indemnities we provided to FEMSA, and during the nine months ended September 30, 2016, and September 30, 2015, we recognized losses of $2.3 million and gains of $4.5 million, respectively. Our exposure related to the tax, civil and labor indemnity claims is capped at the amount of the sales price of the 68% equity interest of Kaiser, which was $68.0 million. Separately, the maximum potential claims amount remaining for the purchased tax credits was $107.3 million, based on foreign exchange rates as of September 30, 2016.

Future settlement procedures and related negotiation activities associated with these contingencies are largely outside of our control. Due to the uncertainty involved with the ultimate outcome and timing of these contingencies, significant adjustments to the carrying values of the indemnity obligations have been recorded to date, and additional future adjustments may be required.

Guarantees

We guarantee indebtedness and other obligations to banks and other third parties for some of our equity method investments and consolidated subsidiaries. As of September 30, 2016, and December 31, 2015, accounts payable and other current liabilities in the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets includes $20.6 million and $16.9 million, respectively, related to the guarantee of the indebtedness of our equity method investments. See Note 4, "Investments" for further detail. Additionally, related to our previous ownership in the Montréal Canadiens, we guarantee its obligations under a ground lease for the Bell Centre Arena (the "Ground Lease Guarantee"). Upon sale of our interest, the new owners agreed to indemnify us in connection with the liabilities we may incur under the Ground Lease Guarantee and provided us with a CAD 10 million letter of credit to guarantee such indemnity. This transaction did not materially affect our risk exposure related to the Ground Lease Guarantee, which continues to be recognized as a liability on our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets. Other liabilities in the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets include $4.6 million as of September 30, 2016, and $4.4 million as of December 31, 2015, related to the Ground Lease Guarantee, both of which are classified as non-current.

Litigation, Other Disputes and Environmental

Related to litigation, other disputes and environmental issues, we have accrued an aggregate of $11.9 million as of September 30, 2016, and $13.1 million as of December 31, 2015. While we cannot predict the eventual aggregate cost for environmental and related matters in which we are currently involved, we believe adequate reserves have been provided for losses that are probable and estimable. Further, we believe that any payments, if required, for these matters would be made over a period of time in amounts that would not be material in any one year to our results from operations, cash flows or our financial or competitive position. Additionally, we believe that any reasonably possible losses in excess of the amounts accrued are immaterial to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, except as noted below.

In addition to the specific cases discussed below, we are involved in other disputes and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of our business. While it is not feasible to predict or determine the outcome of these proceedings, in our opinion, based on a review with legal counsel, other than as discussed below, none of these disputes or legal actions are expected to have a material impact on our business, consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm our business.

During the fourth quarter of 2014, first quarter of 2015 and first quarter of 2016, we received assessments from a local country regulatory authority related to indirect tax calculations in our Europe operations during the 41 month period prior to receipt of the most recent assessment. The aggregate amount of the assessments received is approximately $103 million, based on foreign exchange rates at September 30, 2016. While we intend to vigorously challenge the validity of these assessments and defend our position regarding the method of calculation, if the assessments, as issued, are ultimately upheld, they could materially affect our results of operations. Specifically, if fully upheld, we would be required to record a charge at the high-end of the below range of loss, and this charge and on-going implications to our tax calculations would negatively impact our current and future operating income, respectively. Based on the assessments received and related impacts, we estimate a current range of loss of zero to approximately $128 million, based on foreign exchange rates at September 30, 2016. We continue to apply the methodology challenged in the assessments while the regulatory appeal process remains ongoing, and, as a result, the related range of loss is expected to increase until ultimately resolved. We continue to follow the required regulatory procedures in order to proceed with our appeal of the assessments. The regulatory process is currently expected to take several months to reach an initial formal conclusion following the presentation of facts, and subsequent appeals, if any, may take several years. No provision is currently recorded for these assessments or the related range of loss.

Litigation and Other Disputes

On December 12, 2014, a notice of action captioned David Hughes and 631992 Ontario Inc. v. Liquor Control Board of Ontario ("LCBO"), Brewers Retail Inc., Labatt Breweries of Canada LP, Molson Coors Canada and Sleeman Breweries Ltd. No. CV-14-518059-00CP was filed in Ontario, Canada in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. BRI and its owners, including Molson Coors Canada, as well as the LCBO are named as defendants in the action. The plaintiffs allege that The Beer Store (retail outlets owned and operated by BRI) and LCBO improperly entered into an agreement to fix prices and market allocation within the Ontario beer market to the detriment of licensees and consumers. The plaintiffs seek to have the claim certified as a class action on behalf of all Ontario beer consumers and licensees and, among other things, damages in the amount of approximately CAD 1.4 billion. We note that The Beer Store operates according to the rules established by the Government of Ontario for regulation, sale and distribution of beer in the province. Additionally, prices at The Beer Store are independently set by each brewer and are approved by the LCBO on a weekly basis. As such, we currently believe the claim has been made without merit, and we intend to vigorously assert and defend our rights in this lawsuit.

Environmental

Canada

Our Canada brewing operations are subject to provincial environmental regulations and local permit requirements. Our Montréal and Toronto breweries have water treatment facilities to pre-treat waste water before it goes to the respective local governmental facility for final treatment. We have environmental programs in Canada including organization, monitoring and verification, regulatory compliance, reporting, education and training, and corrective action.

We sold a chemical specialties business in 1996. We are still responsible for certain aspects of environmental remediation, undertaken or planned, at those chemical specialties business locations. We have established provisions for the costs of these remediation programs.

United States

We were previously notified that we are or may be a potentially responsible party ("PRP") under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act or similar state laws for the cleanup of sites where hazardous substances have allegedly been released into the environment. We cannot predict with certainty the total costs of cleanup, our share of the total cost, the extent to which contributions will be available from other parties, the amount of time necessary to complete the cleanups or insurance coverage.

Lowry

We are one of a number of entities named by the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") as a PRP at the Lowry Superfund site. This landfill is owned by the City and County of Denver ("Denver") and is managed by Waste Management of Colorado, Inc. ("Waste Management"). In 1990, we recorded a pretax charge of $30 million, a portion of which was put into a trust in 1993 as part of a settlement with Denver and Waste Management regarding the then-outstanding litigation. Our settlement was based on an assumed remediation cost of $120 million (in 1992 adjusted dollars). We are obligated to pay a portion of future costs, if any, in excess of that amount.

Waste Management provides us with updated annual cost estimates through 2032. We review these cost estimates in the assessment of our accrual related to this issue. We use certain assumptions that differ from Waste Management's estimates to assess our expected liability. Our expected liability (based on the $120 million threshold being met) is based on our best estimates available.

The assumptions used are as follows:


•	trust management costs are included in projections with regard to the $120 million threshold, but are expensed only as incurred;


•	income taxes, which we believe are not an included cost, are excluded from projections with regard to the $120 million threshold;


•	a 2.5% inflation rate for future costs; and


•	certain operations and maintenance costs were discounted using a 1.96% risk-free rate of return.

Based on these assumptions, the present value and gross amount of the costs at September 30, 2016, are approximately $4 million and $6 million, respectively. We did not assume any future recoveries from insurance companies in the estimate of our liability, and none are expected.

Considering the estimates extend through the year 2032 and the related uncertainties at the site, including what additional remedial actions may be required by the EPA, new technologies and what costs are included in the determination of when the $120 million is reached, the estimate of our liability may change as further facts develop. We cannot predict the amount of any such change, but additional accruals in the future are possible.

Other

In prior years, we were notified by the EPA and certain state environmental divisions that we are a PRP, along with other parties, at the Cooper Drum site in southern California, the East Rutherford and Berry's Creek sites in New Jersey and the Chamblee and Smyrna sites in Georgia. Certain former non-beer business operations, which we discontinued use of and subsequently sold, were involved at these sites. Potential losses associated with these sites could increase as remediation planning progresses.

We are aware of groundwater contamination at some of our properties in Colorado resulting from historical, ongoing, or nearby activities. There may also be other contamination of which we are currently unaware.

Europe and MCI

We are subject to the requirements of governmental and local environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations within each of the countries in which we operate. Compliance with these laws and regulations did not materially affect our capital expenditures, results of operations or our financial or competitive position for the third quarter and first nine months of 2016, and we do not anticipate that they will do so during the remainder of the year.

In September 2015, the Environment Agency in the U.K. charged one of our subsidiaries with causing or contributing to a sewage fungus problem in a freshwater drain near the Alton brewery, which we closed in the second quarter of 2015. This dispute was settled in the first quarter of 2016 for an immaterial amount.