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Commitments and Contingencies
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Commitments and Contingencies  
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 14. Commitments and Contingencies

Lease Commitments

        The Company leases land, buildings and equipment under non-cancelable operating leases expiring in various years through 2031. Rent expense for leases that contain scheduled rent increases are recorded on a straight-line basis. Several of the leases have renewal options providing for additional lease periods. Future minimum payments, by year and in the aggregate, under the non-cancelable leases with initial or remaining terms of one year or more, consisted of the following as of December 31, 2011:

 
   Operating
Leases 		  Capital
Leases 		 
 
   (in millions)
  

2012

     55.7     0.7  

2013

     45.5     0.6  

2014

     35.9     0.6  

2015

     26.1     0.3  

2016

     20.5     —  

Thereafter

     75.7     —  
           

 

   $ 259.4   $ 2.2  
             

Less: interest

           (0.1 )
             

Capital lease obligations

           2.1  

Less: current portion

           (0.6 )
             

Long-term capital lease obligations

         $ 1.5  
             

        Total rental expense amounted to $70.1 million, $72.4 million and $75.8 million for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

        Included in the amounts above for operating leases are lease payments to various related parties, who are not executive officers of the Company, in the amounts of $4.8 million, $4.1 million and $3.7 million for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. These related party leases are for buildings leased to certain of the companies we have acquired and expire in various years through 2021.

Purchase Commitments

        As of December 31, 2011, the Company had commitments to purchase minimum quantities of certain aerospace materials, which we entered into to secure material for corresponding long-term sales commitments we have entered into with our customers. The total amount of the minimum commitments based on current pricing is estimated at approximately $165.9 million, with amounts in each of the next five years being as follows: $97.1 million, $17.2 million, $17.2 million, $17.2 million and $17.2 million, respectively.

Collective Bargaining Agreements

        As of December 31, 2011, approximately 12% of the Company's total employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements, which expire at various times over the next five years. Approximately 6% of the Company's employees are covered by 19 different collective bargaining agreements that expire during 2012.

Environmental Contingencies

        The Company is subject to extensive and changing federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations designed to protect the environment, including those relating to the use, handling, storage, discharge and disposal of hazardous substances and the remediation of environmental contamination. The Company's operations use minimal amounts of such substances.

        The Company believes it is in material compliance with environmental laws and regulations; however, the Company is from time to time involved in administrative and judicial proceedings and inquiries relating to environmental matters. Some of the Company's owned or leased properties are located in industrial areas with histories of heavy industrial use. The Company may incur some environmental liabilities because of the location of these properties. In addition, the Company is currently involved with certain environmental remediation projects related to activities at former manufacturing operations of EMJ, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, that were sold many years prior to Reliance's acquisition of EMJ in 2006. Although the potential cleanup costs could be significant, EMJ had insurance policies in place at the time it owned the manufacturing operations that are expected to cover the majority of the related costs. The Company does not expect that these obligations will have a material adverse impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Legal Matters

        The Company is subject to legal proceedings and claims, which arise in the ordinary course of its business. Although occasional adverse decisions or settlements may occur, the potential loss, if any, cannot be reasonably estimated. However, the Company believes that the final disposition of such matters will not have a material adverse effect on the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company. The Company maintains various liability insurance coverage to protect the Company's assets from losses arising out of or involving activities associated with ongoing and normal business operations.