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ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2015
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS | NOTE 7 – ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS UNITIL’S ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS ARE DESCRIBED IN NOTE 8 TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IN ITEM 8 OF PART II OF UNITIL CORPORATION’S FORM 10-K FOR DECEMBER 31, 2014 AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JANUARY 28, 2015. The Company’s past and present operations include activities that are generally subject to extensive and complex federal and state environmental laws and regulations. The Company believes it is in material compliance with applicable environmental and safety laws and regulations, and the Company believes that as of June 30, 2015, there were no material losses reasonably likely to be incurred in excess of recorded amounts. However, we cannot assure you that significant costs and liabilities will not be incurred in the future. It is possible that other developments, such as increasingly stringent federal, state or local environmental laws and regulations could result in increased environmental compliance costs. Northern Utilities Manufactured Gas Plant Sites – Northern Utilities has an extensive program to identify, investigate and remediate former manufactured gas plant (MGP) sites that were operated from the mid-1800s through the mid-1900s. In New Hampshire, MGP sites were identified in Dover, Exeter, Portsmouth, Rochester and Somersworth. This program has also documented the presence of MGP sites in Lewiston and Portland, Maine and a former MGP disposal site in Scarborough, Maine. Northern Utilities has worked with the environmental regulatory agencies in both New Hampshire and Maine to address environmental concerns with these sites. Northern Utilities or others have substantially completed remediation of the Exeter, Rochester, Somersworth, Portsmouth, Lewiston and Scarborough sites. The site in Portland has been investigated and remedial activities are ongoing with the most recent phase completed in December 2013. Final remediation activities in Portland are scheduled to commence in October 2015 with an anticipated completion in January 2016. In May 2014, the State of Maine completed its taking of the site via eminent domain for the expansion of the adjacent marine terminal. As a result of the outcome of negotiations with the State of Maine, future operation, maintenance and remedial costs have been accrued, to ensure that applicable remedial activities are completed. Although remediation at the site in Exeter has been substantially completed, sediment contamination attributed to the former MGP was identified off-site. This off-site location has been investigated and a remedial design is being developed. Final remediation activities of the off-site location are anticipated to occur in the fall of 2015. Given the presence of sediment and need for an appropriate design, future remedial costs of $1.7 million have been accrued on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2015, to ensure that applicable remedial activities are completed. The NHPUC and MPUC have approved the recovery of MGP environmental costs. For Northern Utilities’ New Hampshire division, the NHPUC approved the recovery of MGP environmental costs over succeeding seven-year periods, without carrying costs. For Northern Utilities’ Maine division, the MPUC authorized the recovery of environmental remediation costs over succeeding five-year periods, without carrying costs. The Environmental Obligations table below shows the amounts accrued for Northern Utilities related to estimated future cleanup costs 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. Fitchburg’s Manufactured Gas Plant Site – Fitchburg completed the scheduled site work at the former MGP site at Sawyer Passway, located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts in December 2014. The closure documentation for the site has been submitted and is being reviewed by regulators. A final regulatory determination is anticipated in the summer/fall of 2015. A limited sediment investigation, which commenced in late 2014, will be managed through the final determination. The Company’s estimate for this work is $5.5 million. As of June 30, 2015, $3.8 million was spent on this remediation project. The Environmental Obligations table below shows the amounts accrued for Fitchburg related to estimated future cleanup costs for permanent remediation of the Sawyer Passway site with a corresponding Regulatory Asset recorded to reflect that the recovery of these environmental remediation costs are probable through the regulatory process. The amounts recorded do not assume any amounts are recoverable from insurance companies or other third parties. Fitchburg recovers the environmental response costs incurred at this former MGP site in gas rates pursuant to the terms of a cost recovery agreement approved by the MDPU. Pursuant to this agreement, Fitchburg is authorized to amortize and recover environmental response costs from gas customers over succeeding seven-year periods, without carrying costs. The Company’s ultimate liability for future environmental remediation costs, including MGP site costs, may vary from estimates, which may be adjusted as new information or future developments become available. Based on the Company’s current assessment of its environmental responsibilities, existing legal requirements and regulatory policies, the Company does not believe that these environmental costs will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. The following table sets forth a summary of changes in the Company’s liability for Environmental Obligations for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014.
Environmental Obligations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | ($ millions) |
|  | Fitchburg |  |  | Northern Utilities |  |  | Total |
|  | Six months ended June 30, |
|  | 2015 |  |  | 2014 |  |  | 2015 |  |  | 2014 |  |  | 2015 |  |  | 2014 |
Total Balance at Beginning of Period |  | $ | 1.9 |  |  | $ | 12.0 |  |  | $ | 3.6 |  |  | $ | 2.8 |  |  | $ | 5.5 |  |  | $ | 14.8 |
Additions |  |  | 0.1 |  |  |  | 5.5 |  |  |  | 0.2 |  |  |  | 0.6 |  |  |  | 0.3 |  |  |  | 6.1 |
Less: Payments / Reductions |  |  | 0.2 |  |  |  | 12.3 |  |  |  | 0.2 |  |  |  | 0.2 |  |  |  | 0.4 |  |  |  | 12.5 |
Total Balance at End of Period |  |  | 1.8 |  |  |  | 5.2 |  |  |  | 3.6 |  |  |  | 3.2 |  |  |  | 5.4 |  |  |  | 8.4 |
Less: Current Portion |  |  | 1.8 |  |  |  | 5.2 |  |  |  | 1.6 |  |  |  | 1.2 |  |  |  | 3.4 |  |  |  | 6.4 |
Noncurrent Balance at End of Period |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 2.0 |  |  | $ | 2.0 |  |  | $ | 2.0 |  |  | $ | 2.0 |

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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 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13296-110859 Reference 2: 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 3: 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 4: 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=27011672&loc=d3e149879-122751 Reference 5: 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 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 5 -Section Y + Details
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