3. Debt

The following table summarizes the major components of debt as of each balance sheet date (in millions) and provides the maturities and interest rate ranges of each major category as of September 30, 2018:


	September 30,		December 31,
	2018		2017
Revolving credit facility (weighted average interest rate of 2.7% as of September 30, 2018)	$	44	$	—
Commercial paper program (weighted average interest rate of 2.4% as of September 30, 2018 and 1.9% as of December 31, 2017)		1,053		515
Canadian term loan and revolving credit facility (weighted average effective interest rate of 2.5% as of December 31, 2017)		—		113
Senior notes, maturing through 2045, interest rates ranging from 2.4% to 7.75% (weighted average interest rate of 4.3% as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017)		6,222		6,222
Tax-exempt bonds, maturing through 2045, fixed and variable interest rates ranging from 1.35% to 4.3% (weighted average interest rate of 2.2% as of September 30, 2018 and 2.0% as of December 31, 2017)		2,318		2,370
Capital leases and other, maturing through 2040, interest rates up to 12%		431		327
Debt issuance costs, discounts and other		(52)		(56)
		10,016		9,491
Current portion of long-term debt		447		739
	$	9,569	$	8,752

Debt Classification

As of September 30, 2018, we had $2.2 billion of debt maturing within the next 12 months, including (i) $1.1 billion of short-term borrowings under our commercial paper program; (ii) $806 million of tax-exempt bonds with term interest rate periods that expire within the next 12 months, which is prior to their scheduled maturities; (iii) $260 million of other debt with scheduled maturities within the next 12 months, including $209 million of tax-exempt bonds and (iv) C$57 million, or $44 million, of Canadian borrowings under our long-term U.S. and Canadian revolving credit facility (“$2.75 billion revolving credit facility”). Of the $1.1 billion of short-term borrowings outstanding under our commercial paper program as of September 30, 2018 that are supported by our $2.75 billion revolving credit facility, we have the intent and ability to refinance or maintain $955 million of these borrowings on a long-term basis, and we have classified these amounts as long-term debt. As of September 30, 2018, we have classified an additional $761 million of debt as long-term because we have the intent and ability to refinance these borrowings on a long-term basis as supported by the forecasted available capacity under our $2.75 billion revolving credit facility, as discussed below. The remaining $447 million is classified as current obligations.

As of September 30, 2018, we also have $268 million of variable-rate tax-exempt bonds that are supported by letters of credit under our $2.75 billion revolving credit facility. The interest rates on our variable-rate tax-exempt bonds are generally reset on either a daily or weekly basis through a remarketing process. All recent tax-exempt bond remarketings have successfully placed Company bonds with investors at market-driven rates and we currently expect future remarketings to be successful. However, if the remarketing agent is unable to remarket our bonds, the remarketing agent can put the bonds to us. In the event of a failed remarketing, we have the availability under our $2.75 billion revolving credit facility to fund these bonds until they are remarketed successfully. Accordingly, we have also classified these borrowings as long-term in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2018.

Access to and Utilization of Credit Facilities and Commercial Paper Program

$2.75 Billion Revolving Credit Facility — In June 2018, we entered into the $2.75 billion revolving credit facility, which amended and restated our prior long-term U.S. revolving credit facility. Amendments to the credit agreement included (i) increasing total capacity under the facility from $2.25 billion to $2.75 billion; (ii) establishment of a $750 million accordion feature that may be used to increase total capacity in future periods; (iii) extending the term through June 2023 and (iv) inclusion of two one-year extension options. Waste Management of Canada Corporation and WM Quebec Inc., each an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of WM, were added as additional borrowers under the $2.75 billion revolving credit facility, and the agreement permits borrowing in Canadian dollars up to the U.S. dollar equivalent of $375 million, with such borrowings to be repaid in Canadian dollars. Waste Management Holdings, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of WM, guarantees all of the obligations under the $2.75 billion revolving credit facility.

The $2.75 billion revolving credit facility provides us with credit capacity to be used for either cash borrowings or to support letters of credit or commercial paper. The rates we pay for outstanding U.S. or Canadian loans are generally based on LIBOR or CDOR, respectively, plus a spread depending on the Company’s debt rating assigned by Moody’s Investors Service and Standard and Poor’s. As of September 30, 2018, we had C$57 million, or $44 million, of outstanding borrowings under this facility. We had $606 million of letters of credit issued and $1.1 billion of outstanding borrowings under our commercial paper program, both supported by this facility, leaving unused and available credit capacity of $1.0 billion as of September 30, 2018.

Commercial Paper Program — We have a commercial paper program that enables us to borrow funds for up to 397 days at competitive interest rates. The commercial paper program is fully supported by our $2.75 billion revolving credit facility. In June 2018, we amended our commercial paper program, increasing our ability to borrow funds from $1.5 billion to $2.75 billion, provided that the aggregate outstanding amount of commercial paper borrowings, together with borrowings and issued letters of credit under the $2.75 billion revolving credit facility, shall not at any time exceed the aggregate authorized borrowing capacity of such facility. As of September 30, 2018, we had $1.1 billion of outstanding borrowings under our commercial paper program.

Canadian Term Loan and Revolving Credit Facility — In August 2018, we terminated our Canadian credit agreement, as discussed further below. Prior to its termination, the Canadian credit agreement provided the Company with (i) C$50 million of revolving credit capacity to be used for borrowings or letters of credit and (ii) C$460 million of non-revolving term credit that was prepayable without penalty.

Other Letter of Credit Facilities — As of September 30, 2018, we utilized $541 million of other letter of credit facilities, which are both committed and uncommitted, with terms maturing through September 2019.

Debt Borrowings and Repayments

Revolving Credit Facility — During the first half of 2018, we borrowed and repaid $28 million under our revolving credit facility, which we amended and restated in June 2018, as discussed above. During the third quarter of 2018, we had net cash Canadian borrowings of C$57 million, or $44 million, under our $2.75 billion revolving credit facility, all of which was used to repay the remaining balance under our Canadian term loan, as discussed below.

Commercial Paper Program — During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, we had net cash borrowings of $523 million to support new business opportunities and for general corporate purposes.

Canadian Term Loan and Revolving Credit Facility — Through August 2018, we repaid the remaining balance of C$142 million, or $109 million, owed under our Canadian term loan and revolving credit facility and subsequently terminated our Canadian credit agreement. The remaining change in the carrying value of outstanding borrowings under our Canadian term loan and revolving credit facility is due to foreign currency translation.

Tax-Exempt Bonds — During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, we repaid $52 million of our tax-exempt bonds with available cash.

Capital Leases and Other — The increase in our capital leases and other debt obligations during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 is primarily related to our new federal low-income housing investment discussed in Note 5, which increased our debt obligations by $139 million. This increase was offset by a net decrease of $35 million, primarily due to divestitures and net cash repayments of debt at maturity.