COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2015

Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract]

Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies

Environmental Matters

Our environmental matters are described in Note 19, Commitments and Contingencies, of Notes to Financial Statements in our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The following table summarizes information concerning our recorded liabilities for environmental costs:

December 31, 2014	$	591
Accruals for environmental matters deemed
probable and reasonably estimable		95
Environmental liability payments		(94)
June 30, 2015	$	592

Environmental liabilities are included in the following balance sheet accounts:

			June 30,		December 31,
			2015		2014
	Accrued liabilities	$	278	$	278
	Other liabilities		314		313
		$	592	$	591

Onondaga Lake, Syracuse, NY—We are implementing a combined dredging/capping remedy of Onondaga Lake pursuant to a consent decree approved by the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York in January 2007. We have accrued for our estimated cost of remediating Onondaga Lake based on currently available information and analysis performed by our engineering consultants. Honeywell is also conducting remedial investigations and activities at other sites in Syracuse. We have recorded reserves for these investigations and activities where appropriate, consistent with our accounting policy.

Honeywell has entered into a cooperative agreement with potential natural resource trustees to assess alleged natural resource damages relating to this site. It is not possible to predict the outcome or duration of this assessment, or the amounts of, or responsibility for, any damages.

Asbestos Matters

Honeywell is a defendant in asbestos related personal injury actions related to two predecessor companies:

North American Refractories Company (NARCO), which was sold in 1986, produced refractory products (bricks and cement used in high temperature applications). Claimants consist largely of individuals who allege exposure to NARCO asbestos-containing refractory products in an occupational setting.
Bendix Friction Materials (Bendix), which was sold in 2014, manufactured automotive brake parts that contained chrysotile asbestos in an encapsulated form. Claimants consist largely of individuals who allege exposure to asbestos from brakes from either performing or being in the vicinity of individuals who performed brake replacements.

The following tables summarize information concerning NARCO and Bendix asbestos related balances:

Asbestos Related Liabilities
		Bendix		NARCO		Total
December 31, 2014	$	623	$	929	$	1,552
Accrual for update to estimated liability		99		3		102
Asbestos related liability payments		(96)		(8)		(104)
June 30, 2015	$	626	$	924	$	1,550

Insurance Recoveries for Asbestos Related Liabilities
		Bendix		NARCO		Total
December 31, 2014	$	135	$	350	$	485
Probable insurance recoveries related to
estimated liability		11		-		11
Insurance receivables settlements		1		-		1
Insurance receipts for asbestos related liabilities		(21)		(12)		(33)

June 30, 2015	$	126	$	338	$	464

NARCO and Bendix asbestos related balances are included in the following balance sheet accounts:

		June 30,		December 31,
		2015		2014
Other current assets	$	31	$	31
Insurance recoveries for asbestos related liabilities		433		454
	$	464	$	485

Accrued liabilities	$	352	$	352
Asbestos related liabilities		1,198		1,200
	$	1,550	$	1,552

NARCO Products –In connection with NARCO’s emergence from bankruptcy on April 30, 2013, a federally authorized 524(g) trust (NARCO Trust) was established for the evaluation and resolution of all existing and future NARCO asbestos claims. Both Honeywell and NARCO are protected by a permanent channeling injunction barring all present and future individual actions in state or federal courts and requiring all asbestos related claims based on exposure to NARCO products to be made against the NARCO Trust. The NARCO Trust reviews submitted claims and determines award amounts in accordance with established Trust Distribution Procedures approved by the Bankruptcy Court which set forth the criteria claimants must meet to qualify for compensation including, among other things, exposure and medical criteria that determine the award amount. In addition, Honeywell provided, and continues to provide, input to the design of control procedures for processing NARCO claims, and has on-going audit rights to review and monitor the claims processors’ adherence to the established requirements of the Trust Distribution Procedures.

Honeywell is obligated to fund NARCO asbestos claims submitted to the NARCO Trust which qualify for payment under the Trust Distribution Procedures (Annual Contribution Claims), subject to annual caps of $140 million in the years 2015 through 2018 and $145 million for each year thereafter. However, the initial $100 million of claims processed through the NARCO Trust (the Initial Claims Amount) will not count against the annual cap and any unused portion of the Initial Claims Amount will roll over to subsequent years until fully utilized. As of June 30, 2015, Honeywell has not made any payments to the NARCO Trust for Annual Contribution Claims.

Honeywell is also responsible for payments due to claimants pursuant to settlement agreements reached during the pendency of the NARCO bankruptcy proceedings that provide for the right to submit claims to the NARCO Trust subject to qualification under the terms of the settlement agreements and Trust Distribution Procedures criteria (Pre-established Unliquidated Claims), which amounts are expected to be paid during the initial years of trust operations. Such payments are not subject to the annual cap described above.

Our consolidated financial statements reflect an estimated liability for Pre-established Unliquidated Claims ($147 million), unsettled claims pending as of the time NARCO filed for bankruptcy protection ($34 million) and for the estimated value of future NARCO asbestos claims expected to be asserted against the NARCO Trust through 2018 ($743 million). In the absence of actual trust experience on which to base the estimate, Honeywell projected the probable value of asbestos related future liabilities, including trust claim handling costs, based on a commonly accepted methodology used by numerous bankruptcy courts addressing 524(g) trusts. Some critical assumptions underlying this methodology include claims filing rates, disease criteria and payment values contained in the Trust Distribution Procedures, estimated approval rates of claims submitted to the NARCO Trust and epidemiological studies estimating disease instances. This projection resulted in a range of estimated liability of $743 million to $961 million. We believe that no amount within this range is a better estimate than any other amount and accordingly, we have recorded the minimum amount in the range. In light of the uncertainties inherent in making long-term projections and in connection with the recent implementation of the Trust Distribution Procedures by the NARCO Trust, as well as the stay of all NARCO asbestos claims which remained in place throughout NARCO’s Chapter 11 case, we do not believe that we have a reasonable basis for estimating NARCO asbestos claims beyond 2018.

Our insurance receivable corresponding to the estimated liability for pending and future NARCO asbestos claims reflects coverage which reimburses Honeywell for portions of NARCO-related indemnity and defense costs and is provided by a large number of insurance policies written by dozens of insurance companies in both the domestic insurance market and the London excess market. We conduct analyses to estimate the probable amount of insurance that is recoverable for asbestos claims. While the substantial majority of our insurance carriers are solvent, some of our individual carriers are insolvent, which has been considered in our analysis of probable recoveries. We made judgments concerning insurance coverage that we believe are reasonable and consistent with our historical dealings and our knowledge of any pertinent solvency issues surrounding insurers.

Projecting future events is subject to many uncertainties that could cause the NARCO-related asbestos liabilities or assets to be higher or lower than those projected and recorded. Given the uncertainties, we review our estimates periodically, and update them based on our experience and other relevant factors. Similarly, we will reevaluate our projections concerning our probable insurance recoveries in light of any changes to the projected liability or other developments that may impact insurance recoveries.

Friction Products—The following tables present information regarding Bendix related asbestos claims activity:

	Six Months Ended		Years Ended
	June 30,		December 31,
Claims Activity		2015	2014	2013
Claims Unresolved at the beginning of period		9,267	12,302	23,141
Claims Filed		1,486	3,694	4,527
Claims Resolved ^(a)		(1,410)	(6,729)	(15,366)
Claims Unresolved at the end of period		9,343	9,267	12,302

(a) Claims resolved in 2014 include 2,110 cancer claims which were determined to have no value. Also, claims resolved in 2014 and 2013 included significantly aged (i.e., pending for more than six years) claims totaling 1,266 and 12,250, respectively, of which 82% and 92%, respectively, were non-malignant.

Disease Distribution of Unresolved Claims	June 30,	December 31,
	2015	2014	2013
Mesothelioma and Other Cancer Claims	3,839	3,933	5,810
Nonmalignant Claims	5,504	5,334	6,492
Total Claims	9,343	9,267	12,302

	Honeywell has experienced average resolution values per claim excluding legal costs as follows:

			Years Ended December 31,
			2014		2013		2012		2011		2010
			(in whole dollars)
Malignant claims		$	53,500	$	51,000	$	49,000	$	48,000	$	54,000
Nonmalignant claims		$	120	$	850	$	1,400	$	1,000	$	1,300

It is not possible to predict whether resolution values for Bendix-related asbestos claims will increase, decrease or stabilize in the future.

Our consolidated financial statements reflect an estimated liability for resolution of pending (claims actually filed as of the financial statement date) and future Bendix-related asbestos claims. We have valued Bendix pending and future claims using average resolution values for the previous five years. We update the resolution values used to estimate the cost of Bendix pending and future claims during the fourth quarter each year.

The liability for future claims represents the estimated value of future asbestos related bodily injury claims expected to be asserted against Bendix over the next five years. Such estimated cost of future Bendix-related asbestos claims is based on historic claims filing experience and dismissal rates, disease classifications, and resolution values in the tort system for the previous five years. In light of the uncertainties inherent in making long-term projections, as well as certain factors unique to friction product asbestos claims, we do not believe that we have a reasonable basis for estimating asbestos claims beyond the next five years. The methodology used to estimate the liability for future claims is similar to that used to estimate the liability for future NARCO-related asbestos claims.

Our insurance receivable corresponding to the liability for settlement of pending and future Bendix asbestos claims reflects coverage which is provided by a large number of insurance policies written by dozens of insurance companies in both the domestic insurance market and the London excess market. Based on our ongoing analysis of the probable insurance recovery, insurance receivables are recorded in the financial statements simultaneous with the recording of the estimated liability for the underlying asbestos claims. This determination is based on our analysis of the underlying insurance policies, our historical experience with our insurers, our ongoing review of the solvency of our insurers, judicial determinations relevant to our insurance programs, and our consideration of the impacts of any settlements reached with our insurers.

Honeywell believes it has sufficient insurance coverage and reserves to cover all pending Bendix-related asbestos claims and Bendix-related asbestos claims estimated to be filed within the next five years. Although it is impossible to predict the outcome of either pending or future Bendix-related asbestos claims, we do not believe that such claims would have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position in light of our insurance coverage and our prior experience in resolving such claims. If the rate and types of claims filed, the average resolution value of such claims and the period of time over which claim settlements are paid (collectively, the Variable Claims Factors) do not substantially change, Honeywell would not expect future Bendix-related asbestos claims to have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or operating cash flows in any fiscal year. No assurances can be given, however, that the Variable Claims Factors will not change.

Other Matters

Honeywell v. United Auto Workers (UAW) et. al—In July 2011, Honeywell filed an action in federal court (District of New Jersey) against the UAW and all former employees who retired under a series of Master Collective Bargaining Agreements (MCBAs) between Honeywell and the UAW seeking a declaratory judgment that certain express limitations on its obligation to contribute toward the healthcare coverage of such retirees (the CAPS) set forth in the MCBAs may be implemented, effective January 1, 2012. The UAW and certain retiree defendants filed a mirror suit in the Eastern District of Michigan alleging that the MCBAs do not provide for CAPS on the Company’s liability for healthcare coverage. The New Jersey action was dismissed and Honeywell subsequently answered the UAW’s complaint in Michigan and asserted counterclaims for fraudulent inducement, negligent misrepresentation and breach of implied warranty. The UAW filed a motion to dismiss these counterclaims. The court dismissed Honeywell’s fraudulent inducement and negligent misrepresentation claims, but let stand the claim for breach of implied warranty. In the second quarter of 2014, the parties agreed to stay the proceedings with respect to those retirees who retired before the initial inclusions of the CAPS in the 2003 MCBA until the Supreme Court decided the M&G Polymers USA, LLC v. Tackett case. In a ruling on January 26, 2015, the Supreme Court held that retiree health insurance benefits provided in collective bargaining agreements do not carry an inference that they are vested or guaranteed to continue for life and that the “vesting” issue must be decided pursuant to ordinary principles of contract law. The stay of the proceedings has been lifted and the case is again proceeding in the normal course. Based on the Supreme Court’s ruling, Honeywell is confident that the CAPS will be upheld and that its liability for healthcare coverage premiums with respect to the putative class will be limited as negotiated and expressly set forth in the applicable MCBAs. In the event of an adverse ruling, however, Honeywell’s other postretirement benefits for pre-2003 retirees would increase by approximately $180 million, reflecting the estimated value of these CAPS.

In December 2013, the UAW and certain of the plaintiffs filed a motion for partial summary judgment with respect to those retirees who retired after the initial inclusion of the CAPS in the 2003 MCBA. The UAW sought a ruling that the 2003 MCBA did not limit Honeywell’s obligation to contribute to healthcare coverage for the post-2003 retirees. That motion remains pending. Honeywell is confident that the Court will find that the 2003 MCBA does, in fact, limit Honeywell’s retiree healthcare obligation for post-2003 retirees. In the event of an adverse ruling, however, Honeywell’s other postretirement benefits for post-2003 retirees would increase by approximately $120 million, reflecting the estimated value of these CAPS.

Joint Strike Fighter Investigation—In 2013 the Company received subpoenas from the Department of Justice requesting information relating primarily to parts manufactured in the United Kingdom and China used in the F-35 fighter jet. The Company is cooperating fully with the investigation. While we believe that Honeywell has complied with all relevant U.S. laws and regulations regarding the manufacture of these sensors, it is not possible to predict the outcome of the investigation or what action, if any, may result from it.

Given the uncertainty inherent in litigation and investigations (including the specific matters referenced above), we do not believe it is possible to develop estimates of reasonably possible loss in excess of current accruals for these matters (other than as specifically set forth above). Considering our past experience and existing accruals, we do not expect the outcome of these matters, either individually or in the aggregate, to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position. Because most contingencies are resolved over long periods of time, potential liabilities are subject to change due to new developments, changes in settlement strategy or the impact of evidentiary requirements, which could cause us to pay damage awards or settlements (or become subject to equitable remedies) that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or operating cash flows in the periods recognized or paid.