We make quarterly distributions to holders of our General Partner interests and Limited Partner interests based on Available Cash for the quarter as defined in our agreement of limited partnership. Available Cash is defined generally as all cash receipts less all cash disbursements, less certain reserves (including reserves for future operating and capital needs) established as the General Partner determines in its reasonable discretion to be necessary or appropriate. Changes in working capital impact Available Cash as changes in the amount of cash invested in working capital items (such as increases in inventory and decreases in accounts payable) reduce Available Cash, while declines in the amount of cash invested in working capital items increase Available Cash. Customer advances are cash deposits received from customers which do not increase Available Cash until such time as the customer's order has been shipped and the revenue is earned. Since January 1, 2011, when an affiliate of the General Partner became our sole customer, no customer advances have been received and none are expected in the future. We paid distributions of $448.7 million, $129.7 million and $264.3 million to our partners in 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively.

We receive 99 percent of the Available Cash from the Operating Partnership and 1 percent is distributed to its General Partner. Cash distributions from the Operating Partnership generally represent the Operating Partnership's Available Cash from operations. Our cash distributions are made 99.975 percent to common and Class B common unitholders and 0.025 percent to our General Partner except when cumulative distributions of Available Cash exceed specified target levels above the Minimum Quarterly Distributions (MQD) of $0.605 per unit. Under such circumstances, our General Partner is entitled to receive Incentive Distribution Rights.

On February 10, 2012, we announced a $4.53 cash distribution per common limited partnership unit, payable on February 29, 2012 to holders of record as of February 21, 2012. In the fourth quarter, we exceeded the cumulative MQD amounts and will distribute Available Cash as summarized in the following table:

	Income and Distribution Allocation

	Target Limit		Target Increment		Common Units			Class B Common Units			General Partner			Total
Minimum Quarterly Distributions	$	0.605	$	0.605		98.990	%		0.985	%		0.025	%		100.00	%
First Target		0.715		0.110		98.990	%		0.985	%		0.025	%		100.00	%
Second Target		0.825		0.110		85.859	%		0.985	%		13.156	%		100.00	%
Third Target		1.045		0.220		75.758	%		0.985	%		23.257	%		100.00	%
Final Target and Beyond		>1.045		—		50.505	%		0.985	%		48.510	%		100.00	%

The General Partner is required to remit the majority of cash distributions it receives from the Partnership, in excess of its 1 percent Partnership equity interest, to an affiliated company.

The quarterly cash distributions paid to the unitholders and the General Partner in 2011 and 2010 follow:

		Common Units				Class B Common Units				General Partner

		Total		Per unit		Total		Per unit		Total
		(in millions, except per unit amounts)
2011
	First Quarter	$	25.1	$	1.36	$	0.3	$	1.79	$	8.3
	Second Quarter		89.5		4.84		1.6		8.61		71.5
	Third Quarter		69.4		3.75		1.2		6.48		51.7
	Fourth Quarter		73.3		3.96		1.3		6.89		55.5
2010
	First Quarter	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
	Second Quarter		22.9		1.25		0.2		1.25		0.5
	Third Quarter		43.7		2.36		0.7		3.76		26.5
	Fourth Quarter		25.9		1.40		0.3		1.88		9.0

At December 31, 2011, the General Partner and its affiliates owned 75.3% of our outstanding units. When not more than 25% of our issued and outstanding units are held by non-affiliates of the General Partner, we, at the General Partner's sole discretion, may call, or assign to the General Partner or its affiliates, our right to acquire all such outstanding units held by non-affiliated persons. If the General Partner elects to acquire all outstanding units, we are required to give at least 30 but not more than 60 days notice of our decision to purchase the outstanding units. The purchase price per unit will be the greater of (1) the average of the previous 20 trading days' closing prices as of the date five days before the purchase is announced or (2) the highest price paid by the General Partner or any of its affiliates for any unit within the 90 days preceding the date the purchase is announced.