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Commitments and Contingent Liabilities | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities | Commitments and Contingent Liabilities PPG is involved in a number of lawsuits and claims, both actual and potential, including some that it has asserted against others, in which substantial monetary damages are sought. These lawsuits and claims may relate to contract, patent, environmental, product liability, asbestos exposure, antitrust, employment, securities and other matters arising out of the conduct of PPG’s current and past business activities. To the extent that these lawsuits and claims involve personal injury, property damage, and certain other claims, PPG believes it has adequate insurance; however, certain of PPG’s insurers are contesting coverage with respect to some of these claims, and other insurers, as they had prior to the asbestos settlement described below, may contest coverage with respect to some of the asbestos claims. PPG’s lawsuits and claims against others include claims against insurers and other third parties with respect to actual and contingent losses related to environmental, asbestos and other matters. The results of any current or future litigation and claims are inherently unpredictable. However, management believes that, in the aggregate, the outcome of all lawsuits and claims involving PPG will not have a material effect on PPG’s consolidated financial position or liquidity; however, such outcome may be material to the results of operations of any particular period in which costs, if any, are recognized. Shareholder Class Action On May 20, 2018, a putative securities class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against the Company and three of its current and former officers. On September 21, 2018, an Amended Class Action Complaint was filed in the lawsuit. The Amended Complaint, captioned Trevor Mild v. PPG Industries, Inc., Michael H. McGarry, Vincent J. Morales, and Mark C. Kelly, asserted securities fraud claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of a putative class of persons who purchased or otherwise acquired stock of the Company between January 19, 2017 and May 10, 2018. The allegations related to, among other things, allegedly false and misleading statements and/or failures to disclose information about the Company’s business, operations and prospects. The parties reached a settlement in principal on May 1, 2019. On June 2, 2019, the plaintiff filed with the Court a Petition for Preliminary Approval of the proposed settlement, including the proposed settlement amount of $25 million. On November 22, 2019, the Court entered final judgment approving the settlement. Asbestos Matters Prior to 2000, the Company had been named as a defendant in numerous claims alleging bodily injury from (i) exposure to asbestos-containing products allegedly manufactured, sold or distributed by the Company, its subsidiaries, or for which they are otherwise alleged to be liable; (ii) exposure to asbestos allegedly present at a facility owned or leased by the Company; or (iii) exposure to asbestos-containing products of Pittsburgh Corning Corporation (“PC”) for which the Company was alleged to be liable under a variety of legal theories (the Company and Corning Incorporated were each 50% shareholders in PC prior to April 27, 2016). Pittsburgh Corning Corporation asbestos bankruptcy In 2000, PC filed for Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania in an effort to permanently and comprehensively resolve all of its pending and future asbestos-related liability claims. The Bankruptcy Court subsequently entered a series of orders preliminarily enjoining the prosecution of asbestos litigation against PPG until after the effective date of a confirmed PC plan of reorganization. During the pendency of this preliminary injunction staying asbestos litigation against PPG, PPG and certain of its historical liability insurers negotiated a settlement with representatives of present and future asbestos claimants. That settlement was incorporated into a PC plan of reorganization that was confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court on May 24, 2013 and ultimately became effective on April 27, 2016. With the effectiveness of the plan, the preliminary injunction staying the prosecution of asbestos litigation against PPG expired by its own terms on May 27, 2016. In accordance with the settlement, the Bankruptcy Court issued a permanent channeling injunction under Section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code that prohibits present and future claimants from asserting claims against PPG that arise, in whole or in part, out of exposure to asbestos or asbestos-containing products manufactured, sold and/or distributed by PC or asbestos on or emanating from any PC premises. The channeling injunction, by its terms, also prohibits codefendants in cases that are subject to the channeling injunction from asserting claims against PPG for contribution, indemnification or other recovery. The channeling injunction also precludes the prosecution of claims against PPG arising from alleged exposure to asbestos or asbestos-containing products to the extent that a claimant is alleging or seeking to impose liability, directly or indirectly, for the conduct of, claims against, or demands on PC by reason of PPG’s prior: (i) ownership of a financial interest in PC; (ii) involvement in the management of PC, or service as an officer, director or employee of PC or a related party; (iii) provision of insurance to PC or a related party; or (iv) involvement in a financial transaction affecting the financial condition of PC or a related party. The foregoing PC related claims are referred to as “PC Relationship Claims.” The Bankruptcy Court's channeling injunction channels the Company’s liability for PC Relationship Claims to a trust funded in part by PPG and its participating insurers for the benefit of current and future PC asbestos claimants (the “Trust”). The Trust is the sole recourse for holders of PC Relationship Claims. PPG and its affiliates have no further liability or responsibility for, and are permanently protected from, pending and future PC Relationship Claims. The channeling injunction does not extend to present and future claims against PPG that arise out of alleged exposure to asbestos or asbestos-containing products historically manufactured, sold and/or distributed by PPG or its subsidiaries or for which they are alleged to be liable that are not PC Relationship Claims, and does not extend to claims against PPG alleging personal injury allegedly caused by asbestos on premises presently or formerly owned, leased or occupied by PPG. These claims are referred to as "non-PC Relationship Claims". Non-PC relationship claims With respect to the asbestos-related claims pending against the Company at the time PC filed for bankruptcy, the Company considers such claims to fall within one or more of the following categories: (1) claims that have been closed or dismissed as a result of processes undertaken during the bankruptcy; (2) claims that may have been previously filed on the dockets of state and federal courts in various jurisdictions, but are inactive as to the Company; and (3) claims that are subject, in whole or in part, to the channeling injunction and thus will be resolved, in whole or in part, in accordance with the Trust procedures established under the PC bankruptcy reorganization plan. As a result of the foregoing, the Company does not consider these three categories of claims to be open or active litigation against it, although the Company cannot now determine whether, or the extent to which, any of these claims may in the future be reinstituted, reinstated, or revived such that they may become open and active non-PC Relationship Claims against it. Current open and active claims post-Pittsburgh Corning bankruptcy As of September 30, 2020, the Company was aware of approximately 600 open and active asbestos-related claims pending against the Company and certain of its subsidiaries. These claims consist of non-PC Relationship Claims against PPG and claims against a PPG subsidiary the Company acquired on April 1, 2013. The Company is defending these open and active claims vigorously. PPG has established reserves totaling approximately $190 million for asbestos-related claims that would not be channeled to the Trust which, based on presently available information, we believe will be sufficient to encompass all of PPG’s current and estimable potential future asbestos liabilities. These reserves, which are included within Other liabilities on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, represent PPG’s best estimate of its liability for these claims. These reserves include a $162 million reserve established in 2009 in connection with an amendment to the PC plan of reorganization for non-PC Relationship Claims other than claims arising from premises-related exposures. PPG does not have sufficient current claim information or settlement history on which to base a better estimate of this liability in light of the fact that the Bankruptcy Court’s injunction staying most asbestos claims against the Company was in effect from April 2000 through May 2016. These reserves also include PPG’s best estimate, following an analysis performed in 2019 of its claims history and discussions with consultants and its counsel, of the value of the Company’s potential liability for premises-related non-PC Relationship Claims against it and claims against PPG’s subsidiary acquired on April 1, 2013 that are presently pending, and that are projected to be asserted through December 31, 2028. PPG monitors the activity associated with its asbestos claims and evaluates, on a periodic basis, its estimated liability for such claims, its insurance assets then available, and all underlying assumptions to determine whether any adjustment to the reserves for these claims is required. The amount reserved for asbestos-related claims by its nature is subject to many uncertainties that may change over time, including (i) the ultimate number of claims filed; (ii) the amounts required to resolve both currently known and future unknown claims; (iii) the amount of insurance, if any, available to cover such claims; (iv) the unpredictable aspects of the litigation process, including a changing trial docket and the jurisdictions in which trials are scheduled; (v) the outcome of any trials, including potential judgments or jury verdicts; (vi) the lack of specific information in many cases concerning exposure for which PPG is allegedly responsible, and the claimants’ alleged diseases resulting from such exposure; and (vii) potential changes in applicable federal and/or state tort liability law. All of these factors may have a material effect upon future asbestos-related liability estimates. As a potential offset to any future asbestos financial exposure, under the PC plan of reorganization PPG retained, for its own account, the right to pursue insurance coverage from certain of its historical insurers that did not participate in the PC plan of reorganization. While the ultimate outcome of PPG’s asbestos litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, PPG believes that any financial exposure resulting from its asbestos-related claims will not have a material adverse effect on PPG’s consolidated financial position, liquidity or results of operations. Environmental Matters It is PPG’s policy to accrue expenses for environmental contingencies when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Reserves for environmental contingencies are exclusive of claims against third parties and are generally not discounted. In management’s opinion, the Company operates in an environmentally sound manner and the outcome of the Company’s environmental contingencies will not have a material effect on PPG’s financial position or liquidity; however, any such outcome may be material to the results of operations of any particular period in which costs, if any, are recognized. Management anticipates that the resolution of the Company’s environmental contingencies will occur over an extended period of time. See Note 14, "Commitments and Contingent Liabilities," under Item 8 of the 2019 Form 10-K for additional descriptions of the following environmental matters. As remediation at certain legacy environmental sites progresses, PPG continues to refine its assumptions underlying the estimates of the expected future costs of its remediation programs. PPG’s ongoing evaluation may result in additional charges against income to increase the reserves for these sites. Remediation activities at our legacy sites are not related to the ongoing operations of PPG. In 2020 and 2019, certain charges have been recorded based on updated estimates to increase existing reserves for these sites. Certain other charges related to environmental remediation actions are also expensed as incurred. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, PPG had reserves for environmental contingencies associated with PPG’s former chromium manufacturing plant in Jersey City, New Jersey (“New Jersey Chrome”), glass and chemical manufacturing sites, and for other environmental contingencies, including current manufacturing locations and National Priority List sites. These reserves are reported as Accounts payable and accrued liabilities and Other liabilities in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet.
Environmental Reserves |  |  |
($ in millions) | September 30, 2020 |  | December 31, 2019
New Jersey Chrome | $99 |  |  | $134 |
Glass and chemical | 99 |  |  | 96 |
Other | 91 |  |  | 74 |
Total | $289 |  |  | $304 |
Current portion | $81 |  |  | $62 |
Pretax charges against income for environmental remediation costs are included in Other charges in the accompanying condensed consolidated statement of income. The pretax charges and cash outlays related to such environmental remediation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:
| Three Months Ended September 30 |  |  |  | Nine Months Ended September 30 |  |
($ in millions) | 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2020 |  | 2019
Environmental remediation pretax charges | $6 |  |  | $24 |  |  | $21 |  |  | $75 |
Cash outlays for environmental remediation activities | $15 |  |  | $21 |  |  | $52 |  |  | $57 |
Remediation: New Jersey Chrome In June 2009, PPG entered into a settlement agreement with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”) and Jersey City, New Jersey (which had asserted claims against PPG for lost tax revenue) which was in the form of a Judicial Consent Order (the "JCO"). Under the JCO, PPG accepted sole responsibility for the remediation activities at its former chromium manufacturing location in Jersey City and 19 additional sites. The principal contaminant of concern is hexavalent chromium. The JCO also provided for the appointment of a court-approved Site Administrator who is responsible for establishing a master schedule for the remediation of the 20 PPG sites which existed at that time. One site was subsequently removed from the JCO process during 2014 and will be remediated separately at a future date. A total of 14 sites remain subject to the JCO process. The most significant assumptions underlying the estimate of remediation costs for all New Jersey Chrome sites are those related to the extent and concentration of chromium impacts in the soil, as these determine the quantity of soil that must be treated in place, the quantity that will have to be excavated and transported for offsite disposal, and the nature of disposal required. PPG regularly evaluates the assessments of costs incurred to date versus current progress and the potential cost impacts of the most recent information, including the extent of impacted soils, percentage of hazardous versus non-hazardous soils, daily soil excavation rates, and engineering, administrative and other associated costs. Based on these assessments, the reserve is adjusted accordingly. Principal factors affecting costs include refinements in the estimate of the mix of hazardous to non-hazardous soils to be excavated, an overall increase in soil volumes to be excavated, enhanced water management requirements, decreased daily soil excavation rates due to site conditions, initial estimates for remedial actions related to groundwater, and oversight and management costs. The reserve adjustments for the estimated costs to remediate all New Jersey Chrome sites are exclusive of any third party indemnification, as the recovery of any such amounts is uncertain. Groundwater remediation at the former Garfield Avenue chromium manufacturing site and five adjacent sites is expected to occur over several years. Ongoing groundwater monitoring will be utilized to develop a final groundwater remedial action work plan which is currently expected to be submitted to NJDEP in the fourth quarter of 2020. PPG’s financial reserve for remediation of all New Jersey Chrome sites was $99 million at September 30, 2020. The major cost components of this liability continue to be related to excavation, transportation and disposal of impacted soil, as well as construction services. These components each account for approximately 20%, 15% and 37% of the accrued amount, respectively. There are multiple, future events yet to occur, including further remedy selection and design, remedy implementation and execution and applicable governmental agency or community organization approvals. Considerable uncertainty exists regarding the timing of these future events for the New Jersey Chrome sites. Further resolution of these events is expected to occur over the next several years. As these events occur and to the extent that the cost estimates of the environmental remediation remedies change, the existing reserve for this environmental remediation matter will continue to be adjusted. Remediation: Glass, Chemicals and Other Sites Among other sites at which PPG is managing environmental liabilities, remedial actions are occurring at a chemical manufacturing site in Barberton, Ohio, where PPG has completed a Facility Investigation and Corrective Measure Study under the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. PPG has also been addressing the impacts from a legacy plate glass manufacturing site in Kokomo, Indiana under the Voluntary Remediation Program of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and a site associated with a legacy plate glass manufacturing site near Ford City, Pennsylvania under the Pennsylvania Land Recycling Program under the oversight of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. PPG is currently performing additional investigation and remedial activities at these locations. With respect to certain other waste sites, the financial condition of other potentially responsible parties also contributes to the uncertainty of estimating PPG’s final costs. Although contributors of waste to sites involving other potentially responsible parties may face governmental agency assertions of joint and several liability, in general, final allocations of costs are made based on the relative contributions of wastes to such sites. PPG is generally not a major contributor to such sites. Remediation: Reasonably Possible Matters In addition to the amounts currently reserved for environmental remediation, the Company may be subject to loss contingencies related to environmental matters estimated to be as much as $100 million to $200 million. Such unreserved losses are reasonably possible but are not currently considered to be probable of occurrence. These reasonably possible unreserved losses relate to environmental matters at a number of sites, none of which are individually significant. The loss contingencies related to these sites include significant unresolved issues such as the nature and extent of contamination at these sites and the methods that may have to be employed to remediate them. The impact of evolving programs, such as natural resource damage claims, industrial site re-use initiatives and domestic and international remediation programs, also adds to the present uncertainties with regard to the ultimate resolution of this unreserved exposure to future loss. The Company’s assessment of the potential impact of these environmental contingencies is subject to considerable uncertainty due to the complex, ongoing and evolving process of investigation and remediation, if necessary, of such environmental contingencies, and the potential for technological and regulatory developments. Other Matters The Company had outstanding letters of credit and surety bonds of $137 million and guarantees of $9 million as of September 30, 2020. The Company does not believe any loss related to such guarantees is likely.

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