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Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 27, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Contingencies

The Company assesses its exposure related to legal matters, including those pertaining to product liability, safety and health matters and other items that arise in the regular course of its business. If the Company determines that it is probable a loss has been incurred, the amount of the loss, or an amount within the range of loss, that can be reasonably estimated will be recorded.

Environmental Remediation

The Company accrues for losses associated with environmental remediation obligations when such losses are probable and estimable. Remediation obligations are accrued based on the latest available information and are recorded at undiscounted amounts. The Company regularly monitors the progress of environmental remediation. If studies indicate that the cost of remediation has changed from the previous estimate, an adjustment to the liability would be recorded in the period in which such determination is made. (See Note 21).

Legal Proceedings
The Company has been sued, together with 3M Company and approximately 30 other named defendants and unnamed "fictitious defendants" including various carpet manufacturers and suppliers, in four lawsuits whereby the plaintiffs seek monetary damages and injunctive relief related to the manufacture, supply, and/or use of certain chemical products in the manufacture, finishing, and treatment of carpet products in the Dalton, Georgia area. These chemical products allegedly include without limitation perflourinated compounds ("PFC") such as perflourinated acid ("PFOA") and perfluorooctane sulfonate ("PFOS"). In each lawsuit, the plaintiff(s) alleges that, as a consequence of these actions, these chemical compounds have discharged or leached into the water systems around Dalton and then flow into the waters in or near the water bodies from which the plaintiff(s) draw for drinking water.
Two of these lawsuits were filed in Alabama. The first lawsuit in Alabama was filed on September 22, 2016 by The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Gadsden (Alabama) in the Circuit Court of Etowah County, Alabama (styled The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Gadsden v. 3M Company, et al., Civil Action No. 31-CV-2016-900676.00). The second lawsuit in Alabama was filed on May 15, 2017 by The Water Works and Sewer Board of the Town of Centre (Alabama) in the Circuit Court of Cherokee County, Alabama (styled The Water Works and Sewer Board of the Town of Centre v. 3M Company, et al., Civil Action No. 13-CV- 2017-900049.00). In each of these Alabama lawsuits, the plaintiff seeks damages that include but are not limited to the expenses associated with the future installation and operation of a filtration system capable of removing from the water the chemicals that are allegedly present as a result of the manufacturing and treatment process described above. Each plaintiff requests a jury trial, does not specify an amount of damages other than an assertion that its damages exceed $10, and requests injunctive relief. The Company has answered the complaint in each of these lawsuits, intends to defend those matters vigorously, and is unable to estimate its potential exposure to loss, if any, for these lawsuits at this time.
The other two lawsuits were filed in Georgia. The first lawsuit in Georgia was filed on November 19, 2019 by the City of Rome (Georgia) in the Superior Court of Floyd County, Georgia (styled The City of Rome, Georgia v. 3M Company, et al., No. 19CV02405JFL003). The plaintiff in that case also seeks damages that include without limitation the expenses associated with the future installation and operation of a filtration system capable of removing from the water the chemicals that are allegedly present as a result of the manufacturing and treatment process described above. The plaintiff requests a jury trial and also seeks injunctive relief. While the amount of damages is unspecified, the plaintiff asserts it has spent "tens of millions" to remove the chemicals from the county's water supply and will incur additional costs related to removing such chemicals in the future. The Company has answered the complaint, intends to defend the matter vigorously, and is unable to estimate its potential exposure to loss, if any, at this time.
The second lawsuit in Georgia was originally filed on November 26, 2019 and is presented as a class action lawsuit by and on behalf of a class of persons who obtain drinking water from the City of Rome, Georgia and the Floyd County Water Department (and similarly situated persons) (generally, for these purposes, residents of Floyd County) (styled Jarrod Johnson v. 3M Company, et al., Civil Action No. 19-CV-02448-JFL-003) (the "Class Action Lawsuit"). On January 10, 2020, the Class Action Lawsuit was removed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Rome Division (styled Jarrod Johnson v. 3M Company, et al Civil Action No. 4:20-CV-0008-AT). The plaintiffs in this case allege their damages include without limitation the surcharges incurred for the costs of partially filtering the chemicals from their drinking water. The Complaint requests a jury trial and asserts damages unspecified in amount, in addition to requests for injunctive relief. The Company has filed a response to the Complaint, intends to defend the matter vigorously, and is unable to estimate its potential exposure, if any, at this time.