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Note 10 - Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Notes to Financial Statements  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

10. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Corning is a defendant in various lawsuits and is subject to various claims that arise in the normal course of business, the most significant of which are summarized below. In the opinion of management, the likelihood that the ultimate disposition of these matters will have a material adverse effect on Corning’s consolidated financial position, liquidity or results of operations, is remote.

 

Dow Corning Chapter 11 Related Matters

 

Until June 1, 2016, Corning and The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) each owned 50% of the common stock of Dow Corning Corporation (“Dow Corning”). On May 31, 2016, Corning and Dow realigned their ownership interest in Dow Corning. Following the realignment, Corning no longer owned any interest in Dow Corning. With the realignment, Corning agreed to indemnify Dow for 50% of Dow Corning’s non-ordinary course, pre-closing liabilities to the extent such liabilities exceed the amounts reserved for them by Dow Corning as of May 31, 2016, subject to certain conditions and limits. In January 2024, we entered into an agreement to settle the Dow Corning Chapter 11 Related Matters and the settlement amount was not material.

 

Dow Corning Environmental Claims

 

Beginning in September 2019, Dow formally notified Corning of certain environmental matters for which Dow asserts that it has or will experience losses arising from remediation and response at a number of sites.  Subject to certain conditions and limits, Corning may be required to indemnify Dow for up to 50% of such losses.  As of March 31, 2024, Corning has determined a potential liability for these environmental matters is probable and the amount reserved was not material.

 

Environmental Litigation

 

Corning has been designated by federal or state governments under environmental laws, including Superfund, as a potentially responsible party that may be liable for cleanup costs associated with 19 hazardous waste sites.  It is Corning’s policy to accrue for its estimated liability related to such hazardous waste sites and other environmental liabilities related to property owned by Corning based on expert analysis and continual monitoring by both internal and external consultants.  As of  March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, Corning had accrued approximately $86 million and $88 million, respectively, for the estimated undiscounted liability for environmental cleanup and related litigation. Based upon the information developed to date, management believes that the accrued reserve is a reasonable estimate of the Company’s liability.