Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Note 7.

Contingencies

Cooper and its subsidiaries are defendants or otherwise involved in a number of lawsuits in the ordinary course of business. Cooper records its best estimate of a loss, including estimated defense costs, when the loss is considered probable. When a liability is probable and there is a range of estimated loss with no best estimate in the range, Cooper records the minimum estimated liability related to the lawsuits or claims. As additional information becomes available, Cooper assesses the potential liability related to pending litigation and claims and revises its estimates. Due to uncertainties related to the resolution of lawsuits and claims, the ultimate outcome may differ from the estimates. In the opinion of management and based on liability accruals provided, the ultimate exposure with respect to these pending lawsuits and claims is not expected to have a material adverse effect on Cooper’s consolidated financial position or cash flows, although they could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations for a particular reporting period.

The U.S. Federal Government has enacted legislation intended to deny certain federal funding and government contracts to U.S. companies that reincorporate outside the United States, including Section 745 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-161), Section 724(c) of the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (Public Law 109-115), and 6 U.S.C. 395(b) of The Homeland Security Act. In 2008 Cooper self-reported to the Department of Defense certain transactions aggregating approximately $8 million with U.S. government entities which may be subject to the legislation. At the time of this filing, it is not possible to determine whether any fines or penalties may be assessed against Cooper.

In connection with laws and regulations pertaining to the protection of the environment, Cooper and its subsidiaries are party to several environmental proceedings and remediation investigations and cleanups and, along with other companies, have been named a potentially responsible party (PRP) for certain sites at which hazardous substances have been released into the environment (“Superfund sites”).

Each of these matters is subject to various uncertainties and it is possible that some of these matters will be decided unfavorably against Cooper. The resolution of these matters often spans several years and frequently involves regulatory oversight or adjudication. Additionally, many remediation requirements are not fixed and are likely to be affected by future technological, site and regulatory developments. Consequently, the ultimate liability with respect to such matters, as well as the timing of cash disbursements cannot be determined with certainty.

In the first quarter of 2010 Cooper received two notices of potential liability under Section 107(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) from the United States Environmental Protection Agency with respect to the release or threatened release of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants into the 17-mile stretch of the river known as the Lower Passaic River Study Area, which is part of the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site located in Newark, New Jersey. The EPA sent notices to over 125 companies. The notices to Cooper identified three former sites in the Newark area owned by the former Thomas A. Edison, Inc. and McGraw-Edison Company. The notice alleges that as the successor to Thomas A. Edison, Inc. and the McGraw-Edison Company, the former owners and operators of the facilities, Cooper may be potentially liable for response costs and clean up of the site although the notices do not state an amount of potential liability. On June 14, 2012, Cooper, along with certain other noticed companies, entered into a settlement agreement with the EPA with respect to a specific section of the 17-mile stretch, known as “River Mile 10.9”. Under the settlement agreement and allocation among the parties to that agreement, Cooper’s share of costs for River Mile 10.9 over time is expected to be approximately $0.6 million. The EPA’s actions with respect to the remainder of the Lower Passaic River Study Area remain ongoing.

During 2011 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation selected a final remedy in a Record of Decision with respect to two inactive landfills in Syracuse, New York historically used by Cooper’s Crouse-Hinds business, the City of Syracuse, and others. The Record of Decision requires certain remediation actions having an estimated cost of approximately $13 million. Cooper believes that responsibility for the cost of the remediation should be borne by a variety of responsible parties and is pursuing its options in this regard.

In December 2011 Cooper agreed to accept a share of the costs for investigation and remediation at the Standard Chlorine Chemical Company Superfund Site located in Hudson County, New Jersey. The site is being administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Cooper’s share is based upon its alleged successorship to Thomas A. Edison, Inc, which operated a battery manufacturing facility on the site in the mid 1900s.

Environmental remediation costs are accrued based on estimates of known environmental remediation exposures. Such accruals are adjusted as information develops or circumstances change. The environmental liability accrual includes amounts related to sites owned by Cooper, retained environmental liabilities related to sites previously owned by Cooper and third-party sites where Cooper is a potentially responsible party. Third-party sites usually involve multiple contributors where Cooper’s liability will be determined based on an estimate of Cooper’s proportionate responsibility for the total cleanup. The amount accrued for such sites is based on these estimates as well as an assessment of the financial capacity of the other potentially responsible parties. Cooper had an accrual of $49.4 million at September 30, 2012 related to potential environmental liabilities, including $11.8 million classified as a long-term liability.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for loss and gain contingencies. Describes any existing condition, situation, or set of circumstances involving uncertainty as of the balance sheet date (or prior to issuance of the financial statements) as to a probable or reasonably possible loss incurred by an entity that will ultimately be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur, and typically discloses the amount of loss recorded or a range of possible loss, or an assertion that no reasonable estimate can be made.

+ References

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+ Details

Cooper Industries plc 10-Q