REMEDIAL LIABILITIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]

The changes to remedial liabilities from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019 were as follows (in thousands):



	Remedial Liabilities for Landfill Sites			Remedial Liabilities for Inactive Sites			Remedial Liabilities (Including Superfund) for Non-Landfill Operations			Total
Balance at January 1, 2018	$	1,800		$	65,342		$	57,326		$	124,468
Accretion	86			2,745			1,871			4,702
Changes in estimates recorded to consolidated statement of operations	(1		)	130			558			687
Expenditures	(47		)	(3,759		)	(4,028		)	(7,834		)
Currency translation and other	—			857			(1,863		)	(1,006		)
Balance at December 31, 2018	1,838			65,315			53,864			121,017
Accretion	88			2,639			1,808			4,535
Changes in estimates recorded to consolidated statement of operations	(17		)	(913		)	(2,087		)	(3,017		)
Expenditures	(59		)	(5,079		)	(3,724		)	(8,862		)
Currency translation and other	1			29			470			500
Balance at December 31, 2019	$	1,851		$	61,991		$	50,331		$	114,173

In 2019, the net reduction in the company’s remedial liabilities from changes in estimates recorded to the consolidated statement of operations was $3.0 million and primarily related to reductions in estimates for remedial activities at five locations. There were no significant (benefits) charges in 2018 resulting from changes in estimates for remedial liabilities.

Anticipated payments at December 31, 2019 (based on current estimated costs and anticipated timing of necessary regulatory approvals to commence work on remedial activities) for each of the next five years and thereafter were as follows (in thousands):



Year ending December 31,
2020	$	16,729
2021	17,883
2022	9,207
2023	7,930
2024	5,701
Thereafter	77,000
Undiscounted remedial liabilities	134,450
Less: Discount	(20,277		)
Total remedial liabilities	$	114,173

The following tables show, respectively, (i) the amounts of such estimated liabilities associated with the types of facilities and sites involved and (ii) the amounts of such estimated liabilities associated with each facility or site which represents at least 5% of the total and with all other facilities and sites as a group and as of December 31, 2019.

Estimates based on type of facility or site (in thousands, except percentages):



Type of Facility or Site	Remedial Liability		% of Total		Reasonably Possible Additional Liabilities ⁽¹⁾
Facilities now used in active conduct of the Company's business (39 facilities)	$	44,381	38.9	%	$	10,691
Inactive facilities not now used in active conduct of the Company's business but most of which were acquired because the assumption of remedial liabilities for such facilities was part of the purchase price for the CSD assets (37 facilities)	61,991		54.3		10,658
Superfund sites owned by third parties (17 sites)	7,801		6.8		780
Total	$	114,173	100.0	%	$	22,129

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(1)	Amounts represent the high end of the range of management's best estimate of the reasonably possible additional liabilities.

Estimates based on amount of potential liability (in thousands, except percentages):



Location	Type of Facility or Site	Remedial Liability⁽¹⁾		% of Total		Reasonably Possible Additional Liabilities⁽²⁾
Baton Rouge, LA	Closed incinerator and landfill	$	22,690	19.9	%	$	3,975
Bridgeport, NJ	Closed incinerator	18,191		15.9		2,578
Mercier, Quebec	Idled incinerator and legal proceedings	10,761		9.4		1,098
Linden, NJ	Operating solvent recycling center	7,312		6.4		762
Various	All other incinerators, landfills, wastewater treatment facilities and service centers (72 facilities)	47,418		41.6		12,936
Various	Superfund sites (each representing less than 5% of total liabilities) owned by third parties (17 sites)	7,801		6.8		780
Total		$	114,173	100.0	%	$	22,129

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(1)	$18.4 million of the $114.2 million remedial liabilities include estimates related to the legal and administrative proceedings discussed in Note 18, "Commitments and Contingencies," as well as other such estimated remedial liabilities.


(2)	Amounts represent the high end of the range of management's best estimate of the reasonably possible additional liabilities.

Revisions to remediation reserve requirements may result in upward or downward adjustments to income from operations in any given period. The Company believes that its extensive experience in the environmental services business, as well as its involvement with a large number of sites, provides a reasonable basis for estimating its aggregate liability. It is possible, however, that future changes in available technology, regulatory or enforcement developments, the results of environmental studies or other factors could necessitate the recording of additional liabilities or the revision of currently recorded liabilities that could be material. Since the Company's satisfaction of the liabilities will occur over many years, the Company cannot reasonably predict the nature or extent of possible future events or the impact that those events, if any, might have on the current estimates of remedial liabilities.