XML 40 R17.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.0.6
Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure
Contingencies
Environmental
The Company is subject to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations concerning, among other matters, waste water effluents, air emissions and handling and disposal of hazardous materials such as cleaning fluids. The Company is involved with environmental compliance, investigation, monitoring and remediation activities at certain of its owned and formerly owned manufacturing facilities and at one owned facility that is leased to a third party, and, except for these continuing remediation efforts, believes it is currently in substantial compliance with all known environmental regulations. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had undiscounted accrued environmental reserves of $4,645 and $6,355, respectively, recorded in other long-term liabilities. The Company accrues for certain environmental remediation-related activities for which commitments or remediation plans have been developed and for which costs can be reasonably estimated. These estimates are determined based upon currently available facts and circumstances regarding each facility. Actual costs incurred may vary from these estimates due to the inherent uncertainties involved. Future expenditures relating to these environmental remediation efforts are expected to be made over the next 16 years as ongoing costs of remediation programs.
Although the Company believes it has adequately provided for the cost of all known environmental conditions, the applicable regulatory agencies could insist upon different and more costly remediation than those the Company believes are adequate or required by existing law or third parties may seek to impose environmental liabilities on the Company. The Company believes that any additional liability in excess of amounts accrued which may result from the resolution of such matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, liquidity, cash flows or results of operations.
Legal Proceedings
The Company is occasionally subject to various legal actions related to performance under contracts, product liability, taxes, employment matters, environmental matters, intellectual property and other matters incidental to the normal course of its business. Based on the Company’s historical experience in litigating these actions, as well as the Company’s current assessment of the underlying merits of the actions and applicable insurance, if any, management believes that the final resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse affect on the Company’s financial position, liquidity, cash flows or results of operations. Future developments may, however, result in resolution of these legal claims in a way that could have a material adverse effect.