Environmental Liabilities and Other Contingencies

The Company evaluates the adequacy of its environmental liabilities on a quarterly basis. Adjustments to the liabilities are made when additional information becomes available that affects the estimated costs to study or remediate any environmental issues or expenditures are made for which reserves were established.

Changes in the Company’s environmental liabilities for the nine months ended May 31, 2011 were as follows (in thousands):



Reporting Segment	Balance as of August 31, 2010		Reserves Established, Net ⁽¹⁾		Payments			Balance as of May 31, 2011		Short-Term		Long-Term
Metals Recycling Business	$	25,374	$	840	$	(114	)	$	26,100	$	2,872	$	23,228
Auto Parts Business	14,500		570		—			15,070		553		14,517
Total	$	39,874	$	1,410	$	(114	)	$	41,170	$	3,425	$	37,745

⁽¹⁾Includes $1 million in environmental liabilities recorded in purchase accounting related to acquisitions completed in the first nine months of fiscal 2011.

Metals Recycling Business

As of May 31, 2011, MRB had environmental reserves of $26 million for the potential remediation of locations where it has conducted business and has environmental liabilities from historical or recent activities.

Portland Harbor

The Company has been notified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) that it is one of the potentially responsible parties (“PRPs”) that own or operate or formerly owned or operated sites adjacent to the Portland Harbor Superfund site (the “Site”). The precise nature and extent of any cleanup of the Site, the parties to be involved, the process to be followed for any cleanup and the allocation of the costs for any cleanup among responsible parties have not yet been determined, but the process of identifying additional PRPs and beginning allocation of costs is underway. It is unclear to what extent the Company will be liable for environmental costs or natural resource damage claims or third party contribution or damage claims with respect to the Site. While the Company participated in certain preliminary Site study efforts, it is not party to the consent order entered into by the EPA with certain other PRPs, referred to as the “Lower Willamette Group” (“LWG”), for a remedial investigation/feasibility study (“RI/FS”).

During fiscal 2007, the Company and certain other parties agreed to an interim settlement with the LWG under which the Company made a cash contribution to the LWG RI/FS. The Company has also joined with more than 80 other PRPs, including the LWG, in a voluntary process to establish an allocation of costs at the Site. These parties have selected an allocation team and have entered into an allocation process design agreement. The LWG has also commenced federal court litigation, which has been stayed, seeking to bring additional parties into the allocation process.

In January 2008, the Natural Resource Damages Trustee Council (“Trustees”) for Portland Harbor invited the Company and other PRPs to participate in funding and implementing the Natural Resource Injury Assessment for the Site. Following meetings among the Trustees and the PRPs, a funding and participation agreement was negotiated under which the participating PRPs agreed to fund the first phase of natural resource damage assessment. The Company joined in that Phase I agreement and paid a portion of those costs. The Company did not participate in funding the second phase of the natural resource damage assessment.

The cost of the investigations and any remediation associated with the Site will not be reasonably estimable until completion of the data review and further investigations now being conducted by the LWG and the Trustees and the selection and approval of a remedy by the EPA. However, given the size of the Site and the nature of the conditions identified to date, the total cost of the investigations and remediation is likely to be substantial. In addition, because there has not been a determination of the total cost of the investigations, the remediation that will be required, the amount of natural resource damages or how the costs of the ongoing investigations and any remedy and natural resource damages will be allocated among the PRPs, it is not possible to estimate the costs which the Company might incur in connection with the Site, although such costs could be material to the Company’s financial position or results of operations. The Company has insurance policies that it believes will provide reimbursement for costs it incurs for defense and remediation in connection with the Site, although there is no assurance that those policies will cover all of the costs which the Company may incur. In fiscal 2006, the Company recorded a liability for its then estimated share of the costs of the investigation incurred by the LWG to date. As of May 31, 2011 and August 31, 2010, the Company’s reserve for third party investigation costs of the Site was $1 million.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is separately providing oversight of voluntary investigations by the Company involving the Company’s sites adjacent to the Portland Harbor which are focused on controlling any current “uplands” releases of contaminants into the Willamette River. No reserves have been established in connection with these investigations because the extent of contamination (if any) and the Company’s responsibility for the contamination (if any) has not yet been determined.

Other Metals Recycling Business Sites

As of May 31, 2011, the Company had environmental reserves related to various other MRB sites of $25 million. The reserves, which range in amounts from less than $1 million to $2 million per site, relate to the potential future remediation of soil contamination, groundwater contamination and storm water runoff issues. No material environmental compliance enforcement proceedings are currently pending related to these sites.

Auto Parts Business

As of May 31, 2011, the Company had environmental reserves related to various APB sites of $15 million. The reserves, which range in amounts from less than $1 million to $2 million per site, relate to the potential future remediation of soil contamination, groundwater contamination and storm water runoff issues. No material environmental compliance enforcement proceedings are currently pending related to these sites.

Steel Manufacturing Business (“SMB”)

SMB’s electric arc furnace generates dust (“EAF dust”) that is classified as hazardous waste by the EPA because of its zinc and lead content. As a result, the Company captures the EAF dust and ships it in specialized rail cars to a domestic firm that applies a treatment that allows the EAF dust to be delisted as hazardous waste so it can be disposed of as a non-hazardous solid waste.

SMB has an operating permit issued under Title V of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, which governs certain air quality standards. The permit was first issued in 1998, has since been renewed through March 1, 2012 and is expected to be renewed prior to its expiration. The permit is based upon an annual production capacity of 950 thousand tons.

SMB had no environmental reserves as of May 31, 2011.

Other than the Portland Harbor Superfund site, which is discussed above, management currently believes that adequate provision has been made in the financial statements for the potential impact of these issues and that the outcomes will not have a material adverse effect on the condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company as a whole. Historically, the amounts the Company has ultimately paid for such remediation activities have not been material.