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Asset Retirement Obligations
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]  
Asset Retirement Obligations
Asset Retirement Obligations

The Partnership accrues a liability for legal asset retirement obligations based on an estimate of the timing and amount of settlement. The Partnership accrues for costs involving the ultimate closure of certain of its aggregate mining operations in accordance with its operating permits. These charges include costs of land reclamation, water drainage, and incremental direct administration cost of closing the operations. The Partnership also accrues for estimated costs relating to plugging wells in which it has a non-operation working interest. Upon initial recognition of an asset retirement obligation the Partnership increases the carrying amount of the long-lived asset by the same amount as the liability. Over time, the liabilities are accreted for the change in their present value, through charges to depreciation, depletion, and amortization and the initial costs are depleted over the useful lives of the related assets.

The following table presents a reconciliation (in thousands) of the beginning and ending carrying amounts of the Partnership’s asset retirement obligations. The short-term balance of $0.0 million and $0.1 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, is included in Accrued liabilities and the remaining balance is included in Other non-current liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Partnership does not have any assets that are legally restricted for purposes of settling these obligations.
 
 
For the Years  Ended
December 31,
 
 
2015
 
2014
Balance, January 1
 
$
4,973

 
$
39

Liabilities incurred in current period, including aquisitions
 
5

 
4,697

Accretion expense
 
284

 
237

Acquisition related purchase price adjustments
 
(2,280
)
 

Balance, December 31
 
$
2,982


$
4,973