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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract] 
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Text Block]
12.  Recent Accounting Pronouncements
 
Accounting Standards Updates
 
None of the Accounting Standards Updates (ASU) that we adopted and that became effective January 1, 2011 had a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
 
ASU No. 2011-04
 
On May 12, 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU No. 2011-04, "Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs."  This ASU amends U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and results in a consistent definition of fair value and common requirements for measurement of and disclosure about fair value between U.S. GAAP and international financial reporting standards (IFRS).  The amendments in this ASU change the wording used to describe many of the requirements in U.S. GAAP for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements; however, the amendment's requirements do not extend the use of fair value accounting, and for many of the requirements, the FASB does not intend for the amendments to result in a change in the application of the requirements in the "Fair Value Measurement" Topic of the Codification.  Additionally, ASU No. 2011-04 includes some enhanced disclosure requirements, including an expansion of the information required for Level 3 fair value measurements.  ASU No. 2011-04 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2011 (January 1, 2012 for us).  The amendments in this ASU are to be applied prospectively, and early adoption is prohibited.  We are currently reviewing the effects of ASU No. 2011-04.
 
ASU No. 2011-05
 
On June 16, 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, "Presentation of Comprehensive Income."  This ASU eliminates the current option to report other comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in equity (statement of partners' capital for us).  An entity can elect to present items of net income and other comprehensive income in one continuous statement or in two separate, but consecutive, statements.  ASU No. 2011-05 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011 (January 1, 2012 for us) and interim and annual periods thereafter.  Early adoption is permitted, and full retrospective application is required.  Since this ASU pertains to disclosure requirements only, the adoption of this ASU will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
 
ASU No. 2011-08
 
On September 15, 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-8, "Testing Goodwill for Impairment."  This ASU allows an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test prescribed by current accounting principles.  However, the quantitative impairment test is required if an entity believes, as a result of its qualitative assessment, that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount.  An entity can choose to perform the qualitative assessment on none, some or all of its reporting units.  Moreover, an entity can bypass the qualitative assessment for any reporting unit in any period and proceed directly to the quantitative goodwill impairment test, and then resume performing the qualitative assessment in any subsequent period.  ASU No. 2011-8 is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011 (January 1, 2012 for us), and early adoption is permitted.  We performed our 2011 annual goodwill impairment test on May 31, and we are currently reviewing the effects of ASU No. 2011-8.
 
ASU No. 2011-09
 
On September 21, 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-9, "Compensation - Retirement Benefits - Multiemployer Plans (Subtopic 715-80)."  The amendments in this ASU require that employers provide, on an annual basis, additional separate disclosures for all individually significant multiemployer pension plans and multiemployer other postretirement benefit plans.  The revisions do not change the current recognition and measurement guidance for an employer's participation in a multiemployer plan.  ASU No. 2011-9 is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2011 (December 31, 2011 for us).  Early adoption is permitted and retrospective application is required.  We are currently reviewing the effects of ASU No. 2011-9.