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Litigation and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 28, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Litigation and Contingencies | LITIGATION AND CONTINGENCIES Litigation The Company operated a leather tannery in Rockford, Michigan from the early 1900s through 2009 (the “Tannery”). The Company also owns a parcel on House Street in Plainfield Township that the Company used for the disposal of Tannery byproducts until about 1970 (the "House Street" site). Beginning in the late 1950s, the Company used 3M Company’s Scotchgard™ in its processing of certain leathers at the Tannery. Until 2002 when 3M Company changed its Scotchgard™ formula, Tannery byproducts disposed of by the Company at the House Street site and other locations may have contained PFOA and/or PFOS, two chemicals in the family of compounds known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (together, “PFAS”). PFOA and PFOS help provide non-stick, stain-resistant, and water-resistant qualities, and were used for many decades in commercial products like firefighting foams and metal plating, and in common consumer items like food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, Teflon™, carpets and Scotchgard™. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded that studies of the health effects of PFOA and PFOS are “inconsistent and inconclusive,” but in May 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced a lifetime health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion ("ppt") combined for PFOA and PFOS. Lifetime health advisories, while not enforceable, serve as guidance and are benchmarks for determining if concentrations of chemicals in tap water from public utilities are safe for public consumption. In January 2018, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (“MDEQ”) enacted a drinking water criterion of 70 ppt combined for PFOA and PFOS, which set an official state standard for acceptable concentrations of these contaminants in groundwater used for drinking water purposes. On April 22, 2019, the MDEQ was reorganized into the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (“EGLE”). The Company has been served with two regulatory actions including a civil action filed by the EGLE under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (“RCRA”), Part 201 of the Michigan Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (“NREPA”) and Part 31 of NREPA, and a Unilateral Administrative Order issued by the EPA under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) Section 106. The Company has also been served with individual lawsuits and three putative class action lawsuits. The three putative class action lawsuits were subsequently refiled as a single consolidated putative class action lawsuit. Civil and Regulatory Actions of EGLE and EPA On January 10, 2018, EGLE filed a civil action against the Company in the U.S District Court for the Western District of Michigan under RCRA and Parts 201 and 31 of NREPA alleging that the Company’s past and present handling, storage, treatment, transportation and/or disposal of solid waste at the Company’s properties has contributed to the disposal of solid wastes that was done in a way that resulted in releases of PFAS at levels that resulted in detections exceeding applicable Michigan cleanup criteria for PFOA and PFOS (the "EGLE Action"). Plainfield and Algoma Townships intervened in the EGLE Action alleging claims under RCRA, CERCLA, Part 201 of NREPA, and common law nuisance. On December 19, 2018, the Company filed a third-party complaint against 3M Company seeking, among other things, recovery of the Company’s remediation and other costs incurred in defense of the EGLE Action ("the 3M Action"). On June 20, 2019, the 3M Company filed a counterclaim against the Company in response to the 3M Action, seeking, among other things, contractual and common law indemnity and contribution under CERCLA and Part 201 of NREPA. On February 3, 2020, the parties entered into a consent decree resolving the EGLE Action, which was approved by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff on February 19, 2020 (the “Consent Decree”). On February 20, 2020, the Company and 3M Company entered into a settlement agreement resolving the 3M Action, under which 3M Company will pay the Company a lump sum amount of $55.0 million in fiscal 2020. The Company has recognized the $55.0 million as a loss recovery partially offsetting the environmental remediation costs recorded in fiscal 2019 and is recorded in the prepaid expenses and other current assets line item on the consolidated balance sheets. Under the Consent Decree, the Company will pay to extend Plainfield Township’s municipal water system to more than 1,000 properties in Plainfield and Algoma Townships, subject to an aggregate cap of $69.5 million. The Consent Decree also obligates the Company to continue maintaining water filters for certain homeowners, resample certain residential wells for PFAS, continue remediation at the Company’s Tannery property and House Street site, and conduct further investigations and monitoring to the assess the presence of PFAS in area groundwater. On January 10, 2018, the EPA entered a Unilateral Administrative Order (the “Order”) under Section 106(a) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. § 9606(a). The effective date of the Order was February 1, 2018. The Order pertained to the Company's Tannery and House Street sites and directed the Company to conduct specified removal actions, including certain time critical removal actions subsequently identified in an April 29, 2019 letter from the EPA, to abate the actual or threatened release of hazardous substances at or from the sites. On October 28, 2019, the EPA and the Company entered into an Administrative Settlement and Order on Consent (“AOC”) that supersedes the Order and addresses the agreed-upon removal actions outlined in the Order. The Company has already completed some of these activities and submitted work plans for completion of the remaining items. The Company discusses its reserve for remediation costs in the environmental liabilities section below. Individual and Class Action Litigation Individual lawsuits and three putative class action lawsuits have been filed against the Company that raise a variety of claims, including claims related to property, remediation, and human health effects. The three putative class action lawsuits were subsequently refiled in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan as a single consolidated putative class action lawsuit. 3M Company, which sold Scotchgard containing PFAS to the Company, has been named as a co-defendant in the individual lawsuits and consolidated putative class action lawsuit. In addition, the current owner of a former landfill and gravel mining operation has sued the Company seeking damages and cost recovery for property damage allegedly caused by the Company’s disposal of tannery waste containing PFAS (collectively with the individual lawsuits and putative class action, the “Litigation Matters”). Assessing potential liability with respect to the Litigation Matters at this time is difficult. The Litigation Matters are in various stages of discovery and related motions. In addition, there is minimal direct and relevant precedent for these types of claims related to PFAS, and the science regarding the human health effects of PFAS exposure in the environment remains inconclusive and inconsistent, thereby creating additional uncertainties. Due to these factors, combined with the complexities and uncertainties of litigation, the Company is unable to conclude that adverse verdicts resulting from the Litigation Matters are probable, and therefore no amounts are currently reserved for these claims. The Company intends to continue to vigorously defend itself against these claims. In addition, in December 2018 the Company filed a lawsuit against certain of its historic liability insurers, seeking their participation in Wolverine's defense and remediation efforts. No estimated recoveries from legacy insurance policies have been recognized. Other Litigation The Company is also involved in litigation incidental to its business and is a party to legal actions and claims, including, but not limited to, those related to employment and intellectual property. Some of the legal proceedings include claims for compensatory as well as punitive damages. While the final outcome of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, considering, among other things, the meritorious legal defenses available and liabilities that have been recorded along with applicable insurance, it is management’s opinion that the outcome of these items are not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Environmental Liabilities The following is a summary of the activity with respect to the environmental remediation reserve established by the Company:
| Fiscal Year
(In millions) | 2019 |  | 2018
Remediation liability at beginning of the year | $ | 22.6 |  |  | $ | 31.1 |
Changes in estimate | 112.9 |  |  | 4.8 |
Amounts paid | (11.1 | ) |  | (13.3 | )
Remediation liability at the end of the year | $ | 124.4 |  |  | $ | 22.6 |
The reserve balance as of December 28, 2019 includes $41.5 million that is expected to be paid within the next twelve months and is recorded as a current obligation in other accrued liabilities, with the remaining $82.9 million expected to be paid over the course of up to 25 years, recorded in other liabilities. The Company's remediation activity at the Tannery property, House Street site and other relevant disposal sites is ongoing. Although the recent Consent Decree has made near-term costs more clear, it is difficult to estimate the long-term cost of environmental compliance and remediation given the uncertainties regarding the interpretation and enforcement of applicable environmental laws and regulations, the extent of environmental contamination and the existence of alternative cleanup methods. Future developments may occur that could materially change the Company’s current cost estimates, including, but not limited to: (i) changes in the information available regarding the environmental impact of the Company’s operations and products; (ii) changes in environmental regulations, changes in permissible levels of specific compounds in drinking water sources, or changes in enforcement theories and policies, including efforts to recover natural resource damages; (iii) new and evolving analytical and remediation techniques; (iv) changes to the form of remediation; (v) success in allocating liability to other potentially responsible parties; and (vi) the financial viability of other potentially responsible parties and third-party indemnitors. For locations at which remediation activity is largely ongoing, the Company cannot estimate a possible loss or range of loss in excess of the associated established reserves for the reasons described above. The Company adjusts recorded liabilities as further information develops or circumstances change. Minimum Royalties and Advertising Commitments The Company has future minimum royalty and advertising obligations due under the terms of certain licenses held by the Company. These minimum future obligations for the fiscal years subsequent to December 28, 2019 are as follows:
(In millions) | 2020 |  | 2021 |  | 2022 |  | 2023 |  | 2024 |  | Thereafter
Minimum royalties | $ | 1.5 |  |  | $ | 1.7 |  |  | $ | 1.8 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
Minimum advertising | 3.2 |  |  | 3.3 |  |  | 3.4 |  |  | 3.5 |  |  | 3.6 |  |  | — |
Minimum royalties are based on both fixed obligations and assumptions regarding the Consumer Price Index. Royalty obligations in excess of minimum requirements are based upon future sales levels. In accordance with these agreements, the Company incurred royalty expense of $2.3 million, $2.2 million and $2.3 million for fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The terms of certain license agreements also require the Company to make advertising expenditures based on the level of sales of the licensed products. In accordance with these agreements, the Company incurred advertising expense of $3.6 million, $3.3 million and $3.2 million for fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

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