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Landfill and Environmental Costs
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]  
LANDFILL AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS LANDFILL AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS
As of September 30, 2025, we owned or operated 209 active landfills with total available disposal capacity estimated to be 5.1 billion in-place cubic yards. Additionally, we had post-closure responsibility for 125 closed landfills.
Accrued Landfill and Environmental Costs
A summary of accrued landfill and environmental liabilities as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 follows:
20252024
Landfill final capping, closure and post-closure liabilities$2,253 $2,144 
Environmental remediation450 447 
Total accrued landfill and environmental costs2,703 2,591 
Less: current portion(145)(159)
Long-term portion$2,558 $2,432 
Final Capping, Closure and Post-Closure Costs
The following table summarizes the activity in our asset retirement obligation liabilities, which includes liabilities for final capping, closure and post-closure, for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024:
20252024
Asset retirement obligation liabilities, beginning of year$2,144 $1,937 
Non-cash additions57 45 
Acquisitions, net of divestitures and other adjustments1 4 
Asset retirement obligation adjustments4 3 
Payments(38)(35)
Accretion expense85 80 
Asset retirement obligation liabilities, end of period2,253 2,034 
Less: current portion(85)(78)
Long-term portion$2,168 $1,956 
We review annually, in the fourth quarter, and update as necessary, our estimates of asset retirement obligation liabilities. However, if there are significant changes in the facts and circumstances related to a site during the year, we will update our assumptions prospectively in the period that we know all the relevant facts and circumstances and make adjustments as appropriate.
Landfill Operating Expenses
In the normal course of business, we incur various operating costs associated with environmental compliance. These costs include, among other things, leachate treatment and disposal, methane gas and groundwater monitoring, systems maintenance, interim cap maintenance, costs associated with the application of daily cover materials, and the legal and administrative costs of ongoing environmental compliance. These costs are expensed as cost of operations in the periods in which they are incurred.
Environmental Remediation Liabilities
We accrue for remediation costs when they become probable and can be reasonably estimated. There can sometimes be a range of reasonable estimates of the costs associated with remediation of a site. In these cases, we use the amount within the range that constitutes our best estimate. If no amount within the range appears to be a better estimate than any other, we use the amount that is at the low end of such range. It is reasonably possible that we will need to adjust the liabilities recorded for remediation to reflect the effects of new or additional information, to the extent such information impacts the costs, timing or duration of the required actions. If we used the reasonably possible high ends of our ranges, our aggregate potential remediation liability as of September 30, 2025 would be approximately $274 million higher than the amount recorded. Future changes in our estimates of the cost, timing or duration of the required actions could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
The following table summarizes the activity in our environmental remediation liabilities for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024:
20252024
Environmental remediation liabilities, beginning of year$447 $485 
Payments(31)(45)
Accretion expense (non-cash interest expense)13 13 
Acquisitions, net of divestitures and other adjustments21 1 
Environmental remediation liabilities, end of period450 454 
Less: current portion(60)(63)
Long-term portion$390 $391 
Bridgeton Landfill. During the nine months ended September 30, 2025, we paid $7 million related to management and monitoring of the remediation area for our closed Bridgeton Landfill in Missouri. We continue to work with state and federal regulatory agencies on our remediation efforts. From time to time, this may require us to modify our future operating timeline and procedures, which could result in changes to our expected liability. As of September 30, 2025, the remediation liability recorded for this site was $55 million, of which approximately $4 million is expected to be paid during the remainder of 2025.
West Lake Landfill Superfund Site. Our subsidiary Bridgeton Landfill, LLC is one of several currently designated Potentially Responsible Parties for the West Lake Landfill Superfund site (West Lake) in Missouri. On September 27, 2018, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Record of Decision Amendment for West Lake that includes a total undiscounted cost estimate of $229 million over a four to five year design and construction timeline. On March 11, 2019, the EPA issued special notice letters under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to Bridgeton Landfill, LLC and the other currently designated Potentially Responsible Parties to initiate negotiations to implement the remedy. On January 17, 2025, the EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) applying the prior Record of Decision Amendment to an increased number of acres at the site found to contain radiologically-impacted material. The ESD includes a revised undiscounted cost estimate of $392 million. At this time we are neither able to predict the final design of that remedy, nor estimate how much of the future response costs of the site our subsidiary may agree or be required to pay. During any subsequent administrative proceedings or litigation, our subsidiary will vigorously contest liability for the costs of remediating radiologically-impacted materials generated on behalf of the federal government during the Manhattan Project and delivered to the site by an Atomic Energy Commission licensee and its subcontractor. However, subsequent events related to remedy design, divisibility, or allocation may require us to modify our expected remediation liability.