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Environmental Matters | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2012
Environmental Matters | NOTE 7 – ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS UNITIL’S ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS ARE DESCRIBED IN NOTE 5 TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IN ITEM 8 OF PART II OF UNITIL CORPORATION’S FORM 10-K FOR DECEMBER 31, 2011 AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 1, 2012. The Company’s past and present operations include activities that are generally subject to extensive and complex federal and state environmental laws and regulations including laws and regulations related to pipeline safety. The Company believes it is in substantial compliance with applicable environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, and the Company believes that as of September 30, 2012, there were no material losses reasonably likely to be incurred in excess of recorded amounts. However, there can be no assurance that significant costs and liabilities will not be incurred in the future. It is possible that other developments, such as increased stringent federal, state or local environmental health and safety laws and regulations, could result in increased compliance costs that we cannot currently quantify and that affect our operations. Fitchburg is in the process of developing long-range plans for a feasible permanent remediation solution of a former manufactured gas plant (MGP) site at Sawyer Passway, located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, including alternatives for re-use of the site. Included in Environmental Obligations on the Company’s unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheet at September 30, 2012 are accrued liabilities totaling $12.0 million related to estimated future cleanup costs for permanent remediation of the Sawyer Passway site. The amounts recorded do not assume any amounts are recoverable from insurance companies or other third parties. Fitchburg recovers the environmental response costs incurred at this former MGP site in gas rates pursuant to the terms of a cost recovery agreement approved by the MDPU. Pursuant to this agreement, Fitchburg is authorized to amortize and recover environmental response costs from gas customers over succeeding seven-year periods, without carrying costs. Fitchburg had filed suit against several of its former insurance carriers seeking coverage for past and future environmental response costs at the site. In January 2011, Fitchburg settled with the remaining insurance carriers for approximately $2.0 million and received these payments in the first quarter of 2011. Any recovery that Fitchburg receives from insurance or third-parties with respect to environmental response costs, net of the unrecovered costs associated therewith, are shared equally between Fitchburg and its gas customers. Also included in Environmental Obligations on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet at September 30, 2012 are accrued liabilities totaling $2.5 million associated with Northern Utilities’ environmental remediation obligations for former MGP sites. In addition to the amounts noted above, there are $0.3 million of accrued liabilities in Other Current Liabilities on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet at September 30, 2012 associated with Northern Utilities’ environmental remediation obligations for former MGP sites. Corresponding Regulatory Assets were recorded to reflect that the future recovery of these environmental remediation costs is expected based on regulatory precedent and established practices. The Company’s ultimate liability for future environmental remediation costs, including MGP site costs, may vary from estimates, which may be adjusted as new information or future developments become available. Based on the Company’s current assessment of its environmental responsibilities, existing legal requirements and regulatory policies, the Company does not believe that these environmental costs will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. It is possible that other developments, such as increased stringent federal, state or local environmental health and safety laws and regulations, could result in increased compliance costs that we cannot currently quantify.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for environmental loss contingencies, such as presence of hazardous waste, relevant information from reports issued by regulators, and estimated costs to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements. This element may be used for all of an entity's disclosures about environmental loss contingencies. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13185-110859 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13237-110859 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.Y.Q2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6572457&loc=d3e149879-122751 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 5 -Section Y Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 17 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13328-110859 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13296-110859 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 96-1 -Paragraph 152, 163, 172 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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