Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2015

As of August 31, 2015, the useful lives used for depreciation and amortization were as follows:



	Useful Life (In Years)
Machinery and equipment	3 to 40
Land improvements	3 to 35
Buildings and leasehold improvements	5 to 40
Office equipment	2 to 20
Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) systems	11 to 17

Property, plant and equipment, net consisted of the following as of August 31 (in thousands):



	2015			2014
Machinery and equipment	$	662,018		$	714,636
Land and improvements	250,545			261,447
Buildings and leasehold improvements	106,804			123,869
Office equipment	50,083			50,148
ERP systems	17,340			15,056
Construction in progress	19,799			18,149
Property, plant and equipment, gross	1,106,589			1,183,305
Less: accumulated depreciation	(679,035		)	(659,872		)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	427,554		$	523,433

Schedule of Long-Lived Asset Impairments

The following impairment charges were recorded within other asset impairment charges in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended August 31 (in thousands):



	2015		2014		2013
Long-lived assets	$	41,676	$	—	$	—
Assets held for sale	2,558		928		2,526
Contractual receivable	—		—		7,803
Investment in joint venture	—		—		2,411
Other	885		532		313
Total	$	45,119	$	1,460	$	13,053

Impairment charges on long-lived assets were as follows for the year ended August 31 (in thousands):



	2015
Other asset impairment charges:
AMR	$	41,676
Discontinued operations	2,666
Total long-lived asset impairment charges	$	44,342