Contingent Liability Contingent Liability (Notes) |
9 Months Ended |
---|---|
Sep. 30, 2016 | |
Contingent Liability [Abstract] | |
Legal Matters and Contingencies [Text Block] | Contingent Liabilities In 2012, the Company identified that a site it owns in Decatur, Alabama, contains hazardous substances in the soil and groundwater as a result of historical operations prior to the Company's ownership. The Company retained an environmental consulting firm to further investigate the contamination including the measurement and monitoring of the site. In August 2013, the site was enrolled in Alabama's voluntary cleanup program. On October 30, 2014, the Company received estimates from its environmental consulting firm with three potential remediation solutions. The estimates included a range of viable remedial approaches. The first solution included limited excavation and removal of the contaminated soil along with monitoring for a period up to 10 years. The second solution included the first solution plus the installation of a groundwater extraction system. The third scenario included the first and second solutions plus treatment injections to reduce the degradation time. The estimated expenditures over a 10-year period under the three scenarios ranged from $0.3 million to $1.4 million, of which up to $0.3 million may be capitalized. As the Company has determined that a loss was probable, however no scenario was more likely than the other at that time, a liability in the amount of $0.3 million was established in 2014. During 2015, after further evidence had been collected and analyzed, the Company concluded that it was probable that future remediation would be required, and accordingly accrued an additional $0.9 million for the estimated costs. This estimate is based on the information developed to date and as the remediation efforts proceed, additional information may impact the final cost. As of September 30, 2016, agreement with Alabama’s voluntary cleanup program on viable treatment of the property has not yet been reached and the Company continues to evaluate potential remediation alternatives that could impact the ultimate cost of remediation. As of September 30, 2016, approximately $1.1 million was accrued for remediation in other long-term liabilities on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. |