Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
May 31, 2012
Commitments and Contingencies	Note 12 – Commitments and Contingencies Environmental studies have been conducted on certain of the Company’s owned and leased properties that indicate additional investigation and some remediation on certain properties may be necessary. The Company’s Portland, Oregon manufacturing facility is located adjacent to the Willamette River. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified portions of the river bed, including the portion fronting Greenbrier’s facility, as a federal “National Priority List” or “Superfund” site due to sediment contamination (the Portland Harbor Site). Greenbrier and more than 140 other parties have received a “General Notice” of potential liability from the EPA relating to the Portland Harbor Site. The letter advised the Company that it may be liable for the costs of investigation and remediation (which liability may be joint and several with other potentially responsible parties) as well as for natural resource damages resulting from releases of hazardous substances to the site. At this time, ten private and public entities, including the Company, have signed an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) to perform a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) of the Portland Harbor Site under EPA oversight, and several additional entities have not signed such consent, but are nevertheless contributing money to the effort. A draft of the RI study was submitted on October 27, 2009. The draft Feasibility Study was submitted on March 30, 2012. Eighty-three parties, including the State of Oregon and the federal government, have entered into a non-judicial mediation process to try to allocate costs associated with the Portland Harbor site. Approximately 110 additional parties have signed tolling agreements related to such allocations. On April 23, 2009, the Company and the other AOC signatories filed suit against 69 other parties due to a possible limitations period for some such claims; Arkema Inc. et al v. A & C Foundry Products, Inc.et al, US District Court, District of Oregon, Case #3:09-cv-453-PK. All but 12 of these parties elected to sign tolling agreements and be dismissed without prejudice, and the case has now been stayed by the court, pending completion of the RI/FS. In addition, the Company has entered into a Voluntary Clean-Up Agreement with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in which the Company agreed to conduct an investigation of whether, and to what extent, past or present operations at the Portland property may have released hazardous substances to the environment. The Company is also conducting groundwater remediation relating to a historical spill on the property which antedates its ownership. Because these environmental investigations are still underway, the Company is unable to determine the amount of ultimate liability relating to these matters. Based on the results of the pending investigations and future assessments of natural resource damages, Greenbrier may be required to incur costs associated with additional phases of investigation or remedial action, and may be liable for damages to natural resources. In addition, the Company may be required to perform periodic maintenance dredging in order to continue to launch vessels from its launch ways in Portland, Oregon, on the Willamette River, and the river’s classification as a Superfund site could result in some limitations on future dredging and launch activities. Any of these matters could adversely affect the Company’s business and Consolidated Financial Statements, or the value of its Portland property. From time to time, Greenbrier is involved as a defendant in litigation in the ordinary course of business, the outcome of which cannot be predicted with certainty. The most significant litigation is as follows: Greenbrier’s customer, SEB Finans AB (SEB), has raised performance concerns related to a component that the Company installed on 372 railcar units with an aggregate sales value of approximately $20.0 million produced under a contract with SEB. On December 9, 2005, SEB filed a Statement of Claim in an arbitration proceeding in Stockholm, Sweden, against Greenbrier alleging that the railcars were defective and could not be used for their intended purpose. A settlement agreement was entered into effective February 28, 2007 pursuant to which the railcar units previously delivered were to be repaired and the remaining units completed and delivered to SEB. SEB has made multiple additional warranty claims, including claims with respect to railcars that have been repaired pursuant to the original settlement agreement. Greenbrier and SEB are continuing to negotiate the scope of needed repairs. Current estimates of potential costs of such repairs do not exceed amounts accrued. When the Company acquired the assets of the Freight Wagon Division of DaimlerChrysler in January 2000, it acquired a contract to build 201 freight cars for Okombi GmbH, a subsidiary of Rail Cargo Austria AG. Subsequently, Okombi made breach of warranty and late delivery claims against the Company which grew out of design and certification problems. All of these issues were settled as of March 2004. Additional allegations have been made, the most serious of which involve cracks to the structure of the freight cars. Okombi has been required to remove all 201 freight cars from service, and a formal claim has been made against the Company. Legal, technical and commercial evaluations are on-going to determine what obligations the Company might have, if any, to remedy the alleged defects, though resolution of such issues has not been reached due to delays by Okombi. Management intends to vigorously defend its position in each of the open foregoing cases. While the ultimate outcome of such legal proceedings cannot be determined at this time, management believes that the resolution of these actions will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company is involved as a defendant in other litigation initiated in the ordinary course of business. While the ultimate outcome of such legal proceedings cannot be determined at this time, management believes that the resolution of these actions will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. In accordance with customary business practices in Europe, the Company has $2.9 million in bank and third party warranty and performance guarantee facilities as of May 31, 2012. To date no amounts have been drawn under these guarantee facilities. The Company sold 743 railcars during the third quarter of 2012 for which the Company has an obligation, up to a maximum amount of $4.2 million, to support the railcar portfolio meeting a target minimum rate of return. This obligation expires in March 2033. This $4.2 million, which is held in restricted cash, was recorded as a reduction in revenue on the sale of 600 new railcars and a reduction in gain on sale on the sale of the 143 used railcars with a credit to deferred revenue. At May 31, 2012, the Mexican joint venture had $48.8 million of third party debt outstanding, for which the Company has guaranteed approximately $39.4 million. In addition, the Company, along with its joint venture partner, has committed to contributing $10.0 million to fund the capital expenditures for a fourth manufacturing line, of which the Company will contribute 50%. These amounts will be contributed at various intervals from May 31, 2012 to October 31, 2013. As of May 31, 2012, the Company has contributed $0.4 million. As of May 31, 2012 the Company has outstanding letters of credit aggregating $6.6 million associated with facility leases and workers compensation insurance.

Note 12 – Commitments and Contingencies

Environmental studies have been conducted on certain of the Company’s owned and leased properties that indicate additional investigation and some remediation on certain properties may be necessary. The Company’s Portland, Oregon manufacturing facility is located adjacent to the Willamette River. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified portions of the river bed, including the portion fronting Greenbrier’s facility, as a federal “National Priority List” or “Superfund” site due to sediment contamination (the Portland Harbor Site). Greenbrier and more than 140 other parties have received a “General Notice” of potential liability from the EPA relating to the Portland Harbor Site. The letter advised the Company that it may be liable for the costs of investigation and remediation (which liability may be joint and several with other potentially responsible parties) as well as for natural resource damages resulting from releases of hazardous substances to the site. At this time, ten private and public entities, including the Company, have signed an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) to perform a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) of the Portland Harbor Site under EPA oversight, and several additional entities have not signed such consent, but are nevertheless contributing money to the effort. A draft of the RI study was submitted on October 27, 2009. The draft Feasibility Study was submitted on March 30, 2012. Eighty-three parties, including the State of Oregon and the federal government, have entered into a non-judicial mediation process to try to allocate costs associated with the Portland Harbor site. Approximately 110 additional parties have signed tolling agreements related to such allocations. On April 23, 2009, the Company and the other AOC signatories filed suit against 69 other parties due to a possible limitations period for some such claims; Arkema Inc. et al v. A & C Foundry Products, Inc.et al, US District Court, District of Oregon, Case #3:09-cv-453-PK. All but 12 of these parties elected to sign tolling agreements and be dismissed without prejudice, and the case has now been stayed by the court, pending completion of the RI/FS. In addition, the Company has entered into a Voluntary Clean-Up Agreement with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in which the Company agreed to conduct an investigation of whether, and to what extent, past or present operations at the Portland property may have released hazardous substances to the environment. The Company is also conducting groundwater remediation relating to a historical spill on the property which antedates its ownership.

Because these environmental investigations are still underway, the Company is unable to determine the amount of ultimate liability relating to these matters. Based on the results of the pending investigations and future assessments of natural resource damages, Greenbrier may be required to incur costs associated with additional phases of investigation or remedial action, and may be liable for damages to natural resources. In addition, the Company may be required to perform periodic maintenance dredging in order to continue to launch vessels from its launch ways in Portland, Oregon, on the Willamette River, and the river’s classification as a Superfund site could result in some limitations on future dredging and launch activities. Any of these matters could adversely affect the Company’s business and Consolidated Financial Statements, or the value of its Portland property.

From time to time, Greenbrier is involved as a defendant in litigation in the ordinary course of business, the outcome of which cannot be predicted with certainty. The most significant litigation is as follows:

Greenbrier’s customer, SEB Finans AB (SEB), has raised performance concerns related to a component that the Company installed on 372 railcar units with an aggregate sales value of approximately $20.0 million produced under a contract with SEB. On December 9, 2005, SEB filed a Statement of Claim in an arbitration proceeding in Stockholm, Sweden, against Greenbrier alleging that the railcars were defective and could not be used for their intended purpose. A settlement agreement was entered into effective February 28, 2007 pursuant to which the railcar units previously delivered were to be repaired and the remaining units completed and delivered to SEB. SEB has made multiple additional warranty claims, including claims with respect to railcars that have been repaired pursuant to the original settlement agreement. Greenbrier and SEB are continuing to negotiate the scope of needed repairs. Current estimates of potential costs of such repairs do not exceed amounts accrued.

When the Company acquired the assets of the Freight Wagon Division of DaimlerChrysler in January 2000, it acquired a contract to build 201 freight cars for Okombi GmbH, a subsidiary of Rail Cargo Austria AG. Subsequently, Okombi made breach of warranty and late delivery claims against the Company which grew out of design and certification problems. All of these issues were settled as of March 2004. Additional allegations have been made, the most serious of which involve cracks to the structure of the freight cars. Okombi has been required to remove all 201 freight cars from service, and a formal claim has been made against the Company. Legal, technical and commercial evaluations are on-going to determine what obligations the Company might have, if any, to remedy the alleged defects, though resolution of such issues has not been reached due to delays by Okombi.

Management intends to vigorously defend its position in each of the open foregoing cases. While the ultimate outcome of such legal proceedings cannot be determined at this time, management believes that the resolution of these actions will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Company is involved as a defendant in other litigation initiated in the ordinary course of business. While the ultimate outcome of such legal proceedings cannot be determined at this time, management believes that the resolution of these actions will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In accordance with customary business practices in Europe, the Company has $2.9 million in bank and third party warranty and performance guarantee facilities as of May 31, 2012. To date no amounts have been drawn under these guarantee facilities.

The Company sold 743 railcars during the third quarter of 2012 for which the Company has an obligation, up to a maximum amount of $4.2 million, to support the railcar portfolio meeting a target minimum rate of return. This obligation expires in March 2033. This $4.2 million, which is held in restricted cash, was recorded as a reduction in revenue on the sale of 600 new railcars and a reduction in gain on sale on the sale of the 143 used railcars with a credit to deferred revenue.

At May 31, 2012, the Mexican joint venture had $48.8 million of third party debt outstanding, for which the Company has guaranteed approximately $39.4 million. In addition, the Company, along with its joint venture partner, has committed to contributing $10.0 million to fund the capital expenditures for a fourth manufacturing line, of which the Company will contribute 50%. These amounts will be contributed at various intervals from May 31, 2012 to October 31, 2013. As of May 31, 2012, the Company has contributed $0.4 million.

As of May 31, 2012 the Company has outstanding letters of credit aggregating $6.6 million associated with facility leases and workers compensation insurance.