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Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments And Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies We are involved in various legal proceedings that have arisen in the normal course of operations, including the proceedings summarized below. The effect of the outcome of these matters on our financial statements cannot be predicted with certainty as any such effect depends on the amount and timing of the resolution of such matters and potential insurance coverage. Other than the litigation described below, we do not believe that any of our outstanding litigation would have a material adverse effect on our business or prospects. Environmental. We are subject to a wide variety of laws and regulations concerning the protection of the environment, both with respect to the operations at many of our properties and with respect to remediating environmental conditions that may exist at our own or other properties. We accrue for environmental expenses resulting from existing conditions that relate to past operations when the costs are probable and reasonably estimable. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement relating to the August 1999 sale by Tyco of businesses which make up certain of the companies within Mueller Water Products, Inc., we are indemnified by certain Tyco entities for, among other things, all “Excluded Liabilities.” Excluded Liabilities include, among other things, substantially all liabilities relating to the time prior to August 1999, including environmental liabilities. The indemnity survives indefinitely. Tyco’s indemnity does not cover liabilities to the extent caused by us or the operation of our businesses after August 1999, nor does it cover liabilities arising with respect to businesses or sites acquired after August 1999. Since 2007, Tyco has engaged in multiple corporate restructurings, split-offs and divestitures. While none of these transactions directly affects the indemnification obligations of the Tyco indemnitors under the 1999 acquisition agreement, the result of such transactions is that the assets of, and control over, such Tyco indemnitors has changed. Should any of these Tyco indemnitors become financially unable or fail to comply with the terms of the indemnity, we may be responsible for such obligations or liabilities. On July 13, 2010, Rohcan Investments Limited, the former owner of property leased by Mueller Canada Ltd. and located in Milton, Ontario, filed suit against Mueller Canada Ltd. and its directors seeking C$10.0 million in damages arising from the defendants’ alleged environmental contamination of the property and breach of lease. Mueller Canada Ltd. leased the property from 1988 through 2008. We are pursuing indemnification from a former owner for certain potential liabilities that are alleged in this lawsuit, and we have accrued for other liabilities not covered by indemnification. On December 7, 2011, the Court denied the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment. The purchaser of U.S. Pipe has been identified as a “potentially responsible party” (“PRP”) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) in connection with a former manufacturing facility operated by U.S. Pipe that was in the vicinity of a proposed Superfund site located in North Birmingham, Alabama. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement relating to our sale of U.S. Pipe, we agreed to indemnify the purchaser for certain environmental liabilities, including those arising out of the former manufacturing site in North Birmingham. Accordingly, the purchaser tendered the matter to us for indemnification, which we accepted. Ultimate liability for the site will depend on many factors that have not yet been determined, including the determination of EPA’s remediation costs, the number and financial viability of the other PRPs (there are four other PRPs currently) and the determination of the final allocation of the costs among the PRPs. Accordingly, because the amount of such costs cannot be reasonably estimated at this time, no amounts had been accrued for this matter at September 30, 2021. Walter Energy. We were a member of the Walter Energy, Inc (“Walter Energy”) federal tax consolidated group through December 14, 2006, at which time the Company was spun-off from Walter Energy. Accordingly, we were jointly and severally liable for the federal income tax liability, if any, of the consolidated group for each of those years. As a result of a proof of claim filed by the IRS against Walter Energy in its 2015 bankruptcy case, we paid $22.2 million, including additional accrued interest, to the IRS in final settlement of this tax dispute. All appeal periods have expired, and our liabilities with respect to the Walter Tax Liability have been fully resolved. The COVID-19 Pandemic. The pandemic has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, severe economic, market and other disruptions to the United States and global economies. As a result of the pandemic, we experienced adverse business conditions during the year, including significant costs to mitigate the pandemic effects. During the course of the pandemic, we have taken steps, as reasonably necessary, to maximize liquidity by limiting cash expenditures, including furloughing significant numbers of our employees, implementing temporary shutdowns of our manufacturing facilities or portions of our manufacturing facilities, implementing temporary salary reductions for our senior leadership team, deferral of capital expenditures, reduced fees for our Board of Directors and aggressively reducing general and administrative spending. We will continue to take steps as necessary. We are uncertain of the potential full magnitude or duration of the business and economic impacts from the unprecedented public health effort to contain and combat the spread of COVID-19, and while the extent to which the pandemic affects our results will depend on future developments, the outbreak could result in material effects to our future financial position, results of operations, cash flows and liquidity. Mass Shooting Event at our Mueller Co. Facility in Albertville, Alabama. On June 15, 2021, we experienced a mass shooting event at our Mueller Co. facility in Albertville, Alabama, in which two employees were killed and two employees were injured. Various workers’ compensation claims arising from the event have been made to date, and we anticipate that additional claims may be made, and that liability under such claims, if any, is not expected to have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or cash flows. However, the possibility of other legal proceedings, and any related effects, arising from this event cannot be predicted with certainty. Indemnifications. We are a party to contracts in which it is common for us to agree to indemnify third parties for certain liabilities that arise out of or relate to the subject matter of the contract. In some cases, this indemnity extends to related liabilities arising from the negligence of the indemnified parties, but usually excludes any liabilities caused by gross negligence or willful misconduct. We cannot estimate the potential amount of future payments under these indemnities until events arise that would trigger a liability under the indemnities. Additionally, in connection with the sale of assets and the divestiture of businesses, such as the divestitures of U.S. Pipe and Anvil, we may agree to indemnify buyers and related parties for certain losses or liabilities incurred by these parties with respect to: (i) the representations and warranties made by us to these parties in connection with the sale and (ii) liabilities related to the pre-closing operations of the assets or business sold. Indemnities related to pre-closing operations generally include certain environmental and tax liabilities and other liabilities not assumed by these parties in the transaction. Indemnities related to the pre-closing operations of sold assets or businesses normally do not represent additional liabilities to us, but simply serve to protect these parties from potential liability associated with our obligations existing at the time of the sale. As with any liability, we have accrued for those pre-closing obligations that are considered probable and reasonably estimable. Should circumstances change, increasing the likelihood of payments related to a specific indemnity, we will accrue a liability when future payment is probable and the amount is reasonably estimable. Other Matters. We monitor and analyze our warranty experience and costs periodically and may revise our warranty accruals as necessary. Critical factors in our reserve analyses include warranty terms, specific claim situations, incurred and projected failure rates, the nature of product failures, product and labor costs, and general business conditions. We are party to a number of other lawsuits arising in the ordinary course of business, including product liability cases for products manufactured by us or third parties. While the results of litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the final outcome of such other litigation is not likely to have a material adverse effect on our business or prospects.

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