Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Income Taxes

Schedule of Income tax expense (benefit) applicable to continuing operations

	For the years ended December 31,
	2011							2010						2009
	Current		Deferred			Total		Current		Deferred		Total		Current		Deferred			Total
Federal	$	37,307	$	80,701		$	118,008	$	77,400	$	75,579	$	152,979	$	3,423	$	35,515		$	38,938
State		6,226		3,108			9,333		27,597		7,595		35,192		9,683		(6,477	)		3,206
Foreign		20,889		(17,006	)		3,883		—		—		—		—		—			—
Total	$	64,422	$	66,803		$	131,225	$	104,997	$	83,174	$	188,171	$	13,106	$	29,038		$	42,144

Schedule of deferred income tax assets (liabilities)

	December 31,
	2011			2010
Deferred income tax assets:
Net operating loss and credit carryforwards	$	56,970		$	31,578
Accrued expenses		18,773			17,367
Contingent interest		36,441			33,515
Postretirement benefits other than pensions		219,399			183,711
Pension obligations		20,229			22,071
Other		31,760			29,476
Total deferred tax assets		383,572			317,718
Less: valuation allowance for deferred tax assets		(1,729	)		(1,549	)
Net deferred income tax asset		381,843			316,169
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Prepaid expenses		(11,915	)		(10,181	)
B.C. minerals tax		(263,422	)		—
Property, plant and equipment		(965,463	)		(94,097	)
Total deferred income tax liabilities		(1,240,800	)		(104,278	)
Net deferred income tax (liability) asset	$	(858,957	)	$	211,891
Deferred income taxes are classified as follows:
Current deferred income tax asset	$	61,079		$	62,371
Noncurrent deferred income tax asset		109,300			149,520
Noncurrent deferred income tax liability, net		(1,029,336	)		—
Net deferred tax (liability) asset	$	(858,957	)	$	211,891

Reconciliation of effective tax rate to statutory rate

	For the years ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Income from continuing operations before income tax expense	$	494,823		$	577,596		$	183,994
Tax expense at statutory tax rate of 35%	$	173,188		$	202,159		$	64,398
Effect of:
Excess depletion benefit		(32,370	)		(31,572	)		(18,693	)
Impact of foreign taxes		(36,545	)		—			—
B.C. minerals tax		11,954			—			—
State and local income tax, net of federal effect		7,394			26,134			2,158
U.S. domestic production activities benefit		(5,583	)		(3,871	)		—
Acquisition costs		8,078			—			—
Other		5,109			(4,679	)		(5,719	)
Tax expense recognized	$	131,225		$	188,171		$	42,144

Schedule of reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the total amounts of gross unrecognized tax benefits

	December 31,
	2011			2010
Gross unrecognized tax benefits at beginning of year	$	39,191		$	34,300
Increases for tax positions taken in prior years		31,704			5,216
Increases in tax positions for the current year		23,169			—
Decreases for changes in temporary differences		(1,306	)		(325	)
Gross unrecognized tax benefits at end of year	$	92,758		$	39,191