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Commitments and Contingencies - Respirator and Environmental (Details) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) individual lawsuit claim item | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) item
Respirator Mask/Asbestos Litigation |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Total number of named claimants | 2,230 | 2,660
Number of total claims settled and taken to trial | claim | 12 |
Number of total claims settled and tried to verdict | claim | 10 |
Number of total claims tried to verdict | claim | 11 |
Number of total claims dismissed | claim | 1 |
Increase in liabilities | $ | $ 71,000,000 |
Payments for fees and settlements related to litigation | $ | 58,000,000 |
Insurance receivables | $ | $ 4,000,000 |
Respirator Mask/Asbestos Litigation - State of West Virginia |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Number of additional defendants | 2 |
Accrued loss contingency reserve | $ | $ 0 |
Respirator Mask/Asbestos litigation - Excluding Aearo Technologies |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Accrued loss contingency reserve | $ | 608,000,000 | $ 595,000,000
Respirator Mask/Asbestos Litigation - Aearo Technologies |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Accrued loss contingency reserve | $ | 30,000,000 |
Increase in liabilities | $ | 13,000,000 |
Quarterly fee paid to Cabot to retain responsibility and liability for products manufactured before July 11, 1995 | $ | $ 100,000 |
Number of claims with summary judgment | lawsuit | 2 |
Number of remaining issues for Cabot's appeal after judgment in Aearo's favor | lawsuit | 2 |
Outstanding issues remaining | lawsuit | 2 |
Environmental Matters - Remediation |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Accrued loss contingency reserve | $ | $ 28,000,000 |
Insurance receivables | $ | $ 8,000,000 |
Number of years remediation payments expected to be paid for applicable sites | 20 years |
Environmental Matters - Regulatory Activities |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Number of years after phase-out decision in May 2000 that the Company stopped manufacturing and using vast majority of perfluorooctanyl compounds | 2 years |
Amount of PFOA and PFOS found in drinking water, either individually or combined, that are allowed per the EPA's announced lifetime health advisory levels in parts per trillion | 70 |
Amount of PFOA in drinking water allowed per provisional health advisories in parts per trillion (superseded) | 400 |
Amount of PFOS in drinking water allowed per provisional health advisories in parts per trillion (superseded) | 200 |
Number of public water supplies the EPA reported results | 4,920 |
Number of water supplies that reported above advisory level with PFOA | 13 |
Number of water supplies that reported above advisory level with PFOS | 46 |
Number of water supplies that reported above advisory level with both PFOA and PFOS | 65 |
Environmental Matters - Regulatory Activities | Minimum |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Number of PFCs the EPA has required to have public water system suppliers monitor | 6 |
Number of water supply samples used to test for PFOA and PFOS under the EPA lifetime health advisory program | 1 |
Environmental Matters - Regulatory Activities | Alabama |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Number of years covered by permit for sludge containing PFCs | 20 years |
Environmental Matters - Regulatory Activities | Minnesota Department of Health |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Amount of PFOA in drinking water allowed per Minnesota Department of Health in parts per trillion | 35 |
Amount of PFOS in drinking water allowed per Minnesota Department of Health in parts per trillion | 27 |
Amount of PFBS in drinking water allowed per Minnesota Department of Health in parts per billion | 2 |
Environmental Matters - Litigation |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Number of local water works for whom the water authority supplies water | 5 |
Environmental Matters - Litigation | Alabama | Minimum |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Total number of named claimants | individual | 200 |
Environmental Matters - Litigation | Morgan County, Alabama |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Total number of named claimants | individual | 3 |
Environmental Matters - Litigation | Minnesota |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Accrued loss contingency reserve | $ | $ 0 |
Amount of damages the State incurred as detailed in the State's damages expert submitted report | $ | 5,000,000,000 |
Environmental Matters - Litigation | Metropolitan Council, Minnesota |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Litigation settlement awarded | $ | $ 1,000,000 |
Number of wastewater treatment plants from which PFC-containing sludge and biosolids may allegedly be discharged by Metropolitan Council, low end of range | 1 |
Environmental Matters - Other Environmental Litigation |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Total number of named claimants | individual | 8 |
Number of counts in a litigation case | 12 |
Accrued loss contingency reserve | $ | $ 25,000,000 |
Insurance receivable collected from insurer | $ | $ 15,000,000 |
Number of former disposal sites with PFC present in soil and groundwater in Washington County, Minnesota | 2 |
Environmental Matters - Other Environmental Litigation | Maximum |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Number of years remediation payments expected to be paid for applicable sites | 4 years |
Environmental Matters - Other Environmental Litigation | U.S. District Court of New York State |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Number of lawsuits filed | lawsuit | 3 |
Environmental Matters - Aqueous Film Forming Foam Litigation | Federal court in Colorado, Pennsylvania, and state court in New York in aggregate |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Number of lawsuits filed | lawsuit | 12 |
Environmental Matters - Aqueous Film Forming Foam Litigation | State court in New York |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Number of lawsuits filed | lawsuit | 3 |
Environmental Matters - Aqueous Film Forming Foam Litigation | Suffolk County, New York |  |
Loss contingencies |  |
Total number of named claimants | individual | 26 |

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- Definition The amount of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in drinking water allowed per the guidance of the provisional health advisories issued by the EPA in 2009 under the Safe Drinking Water Act (presented parts per trillion). + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in drinking water allowed per the guidance of the provisional health advisories issued by the EPA in 2009 under the Safe Drinking Water Act (presented in parts per trillion). + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition This element represents the amount of PFBS chemicals allowed in drinking water (in parts per billion) per guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of Perfluoroocotanoate (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in drinking water allowed per the EPA's announced lifetime health advisory levels (presented as parts per trillion). + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition This element represents the amount of PFOA chemicals allowed in drinking water (in parts per trillion) as per guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of PFCs the EPA has required to have public water system suppliers monitor. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The wastewater treatment plants from which PFC-containing sludge and biosolids may allegedly be discharged by Metropolitan Council, low end of range. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of water supplies that reported above the lifetime health advisory level issued by the EPA for both PFOA and PFOS. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of water supplies that reported above the lifetime health advisory level issued by the EPA for PFOA. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of years after phase-out decision in May 2000 that the Company stopped manufacturing and using vast majority of perfluorooctanyl compounds. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The quarterly fee paid to a co-defendant to retain responsibility, and liability for and indemnify the entity's subsidiary against product liability claims for respirators manufactured prior to July 11, 1995. + References No definition available. + Details
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