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Legal Proceedings
12 Months Ended
Oct. 26, 2012
Legal Proceedings [Abstract]  
Legal Proceedings

NOTE 12 – LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Environmental Matters

We are involved in various claims relating to environmental matters at a number of current and former plant sites and waste and management sites. We engage or participate in remedial and other environmental compliance activities at certain of these sites. At other sites, we have been named as a potentially responsible party ("PRP") under federal and state environmental laws for site remediation. We analyze each individual site, considering the number of parties involved, the level of our potential liability or contribution relative to the other parties, the nature and magnitude of the hazardous wastes involved, the method and extent of remediation, the potential insurance coverage, the estimated legal and consulting expense with respect to each site and the time period over which any costs would likely be incurred. Based on the above analysis, we estimate the clean-up costs and related claims for each site. The estimates are based in part on discussion with other PRPs, governmental agencies and engineering firms.

We accrue appropriate reserves for potential environmental liabilities, which are reviewed and adjusted as additional information becomes available. Our reserves are not discounted. While uncertainties exist with respect to the amounts and timing of our ultimate environmental liabilities, management believes there is not a reasonable possibility that such liabilities, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Other Legal Matters

We are involved in a variety of legal claims and proceedings relating to personal injury, product liability, warranties, customer contracts, employment, trade practices, environmental and other legal matters that arise in the normal course of business. These claims and proceedings include cases where we are one of a number of defendants in proceedings alleging that the plaintiffs suffered injuries or contracted diseases from exposure to chemicals or other ingredients used in the production of some of our products or waste disposal. We are also subject to claims related to the performance of our products. We believe these claims and proceedings are not out of the ordinary course for a business of the type and size in which we are engaged. While we are unable to predict the ultimate outcome of these claims and proceedings, we believe there is not a reasonable possibility that the costs and liabilities of such matters, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.