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Commitments and contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and contingencies Commitments and contingencies
Pursuant to U.S. GAAP, accruals for estimated losses are recorded at the time information becomes available indicating that losses are probable and that the amounts are reasonably estimable. As is the case with other companies in similar industries, the Company faces exposure from actual or potential claims and legal proceedings from a variety of sources. Some of these exposures, as discussed below, have the potential to be material.
Environmental matters
The Company is subject to a variety of environmental and pollution control laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which it operates.
Spartanburg
In connection with its acquisition of Tegrant in November 2011, the Company identified potential environmental contamination at a site in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The total remediation cost of the Spartanburg site was estimated to be $17,400 at the time of the acquisition and an accrual in this amount was recorded on Tegrant’s opening balance sheet. Since the acquisition, the Company has spent a total of $1,845 on remediation of the Spartanburg site.
Based on favorable developments at the Spartanburg site, the Company reduced its estimated environmental reserve by $10,000 during the third quarter of 2019 in order to reflect its revised best estimate of what it is likely to pay in order to complete the remediation. This adjustment resulted in a $10,000 reduction in "Selling, general and administrative expenses" in the Company's Consolidated Statement of Income for the year ended December 31, 2019.
At December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company's accrual for environmental contingencies related to the Spartanburg site totaled $5,555 and $5,700, respectively. The Company cannot currently estimate its potential liability, damages or range of potential loss, if any, beyond the amounts
accrued with respect to this exposure. However, the Company does not believe that the resolution of this matter has a reasonable possibility of having a material adverse effect on the Company's financial statements.
Other environmental matters
The Company has been named as a potentially responsible party at several other environmentally contaminated sites. All of the sites are also the responsibility of other parties. The potential remediation liabilities are shared with such other parties, and, in most cases, the Company’s share, if any, cannot be reasonably estimated at the current time. However, the Company does not believe that the resolution of these matters has a reasonable possibility of having a material adverse effect on the Company's financial statements. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company's accrual for these other sites totaled $1,825 and $2,433, respectively.
Summary
As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company (and its subsidiaries) had accrued $7,380 and $8,133, respectively, related to environmental contingencies. These accruals are included in “Accrued expenses and other” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Other legal and regulatory matters
As previously disclosed, in February 2017 the Company received a Notice of Proposed Adjustment (“NOPA”) from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) proposing adjustments to the 2012 and 2013 tax years. In 2018, the Company filed a protest to the proposed deficiency and the matter was referred to the Appeals Division of the IRS. In the second quarter of 2021, the Company paid $5,613 in taxes and interest to settle the dispute.
Commitments
As of December 31, 2021, the Company had long-term obligations to purchase electricity and steam, which it uses in its production processes, as well as long-term purchase commitments for certain raw materials, principally old corrugated containers. These purchase commitments require the Company to make total payments of approximately $99,271, as follows: $81,398 in 2022; $15,153 in 2023; $1,419 in 2024, $1,301 in 2025, and a total of $0 from 2026 through 2030.