LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AND CONTINGENCIES	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AND CONTINGENCIES
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AND CONTINGENCIES	17) LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AND CONTINGENCIES We are involved in claims, litigation, administrative proceedings and investigations of various types in a number of jurisdictions. A number of such matters involve, or may involve, claims for a material amount of damages and relate to or allege, among other things, environmental liabilities, including clean-up costs associated with hazardous waste disposal sites, natural resource damages, property damage and personal injury. As a result of the Chapter 11 cases, substantially all prepetition litigation and claims against us and our subsidiaries that were Debtors in the Chapter 11 cases have been discharged and permanently enjoined from further prosecution and are described below under the subheading “Prepetition Litigation and Claims Discharged Under the Plan.” Claims and legal actions asserted against non-Debtors or relating to events occurring after the Effective Date, certain regulatory and administrative proceedings and certain contractual and other claims assumed with the authorization of the Bankruptcy Court, were not discharged in the Chapter 11 cases and are described below under the subheading “Litigation and Claims Not Discharged Under the Plan.” Prepetition Litigation and Claims Discharged Under the Plan Chapter 11 Plan and Establishment of Claims Reserves On March 18, 2009, the Debtors filed voluntary petitions in the Bankruptcy Court seeking relief under Chapter 11. The Debtors’ Chapter 11 cases were assigned to the Honorable Robert E. Gerber and are being jointly administered as Case No. 09-11233. The Debtors continued to operate their business as debtors in possession under the jurisdiction of the Bankruptcy Court until their emergence from Chapter 11 on November 10, 2010. Pursuant to the Plan, and by orders of the Bankruptcy Court dated September 24, 2010, October 19, 2010 and October 29, 2010, the Debtors established the Diacetyl Reserve, the Environmental Reserve and the Disputed Claims Reserve, each as defined in the Plan, on account of claims that were not yet allowed in the Chapter 11 cases as of the Effective Date, including proofs of claim asserted against the Debtors that were subject to objection as of the Effective Date (the “Disputed Claims”). The Diacetyl Reserve was approved by the Bankruptcy Court in the amount of $7 million, comprised of separate segregated reserves, and has since been reduced as settlement agreements have been approved by the Bankruptcy Court. The Environmental Reserve was approved by the Bankruptcy Court in the amount of $38 million, a portion of which was further segregated into certain separate reserves established to account for settlements that were pending Bankruptcy Court approval, and has since been reduced as settlement agreements have been approved by the Bankruptcy Court. The Disputed Claims Reserve was approved by the Bankruptcy Court in the amount of $42 million, plus additional segregated individual reserves for certain creditors’ claims in the aggregate amount of approximately $30 million, all of which have been reduced as settlement agreements have been approved by the Bankruptcy Court. On June 24, 2011, we resolved the final disputed Environmental Claim. As a result, under the Plan, the amounts remaining in the Environmental Reserve were transferred to the Disputed Claims Reserve. Any remaining Disputed Claims, to the extent they were ultimately allowed by the Bankruptcy Court, were satisfied (to the extent allowed and not covered by insurance) from the Disputed Claims Reserve. Holders of the Disputed Claims are permanently enjoined under the Plan from pursuing their claims against us. On May 4, 2012, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order disallowing the last Disputed Claim subject to the Disputed Claims Reserve. In July 2012, we made a final distribution to Holders of Interests in accordance with the Plan that included all amounts remaining in the Disputed Claims Reserve. Litigation and Claims Not Discharged Under the Plan Environmental Liabilities We are involved in environmental matters of various types in a number of jurisdictions. A number of such matters involve claims for material amounts of damages and relate to or allege environmental liabilities, including clean up costs associated with hazardous waste disposal sites and natural resource damages. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (“CERCLA”), and comparable state statutes impose strict liability upon various classes of persons with respect to the costs associated with the investigation and remediation of waste disposal sites. Such persons are typically referred to as “Potentially Responsible Parties” or PRPs. Chemtura and several of our subsidiaries have been identified by federal, state or local governmental agencies or by other PRPs, as a PRP at various locations in the United States. Because in certain circumstances these laws have been construed to authorize the imposition of joint and several liability, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and comparable state agencies could seek to recover all costs involving a waste disposal site from any one of the PRPs for such site, including Chemtura, despite the involvement of other PRPs. In many cases, we are one of a large number of PRPs with respect to a site. In a few instances, we are the sole or one of only a handful of PRPs performing investigation and remediation. Where other financially responsible PRPs are involved, we expect that any ultimate liability resulting from such matters will be apportioned between us and such other parties. In addition, we are involved with environmental remediation and compliance activities at some of our current and former sites in the United States and abroad. Each quarter, we evaluate and review estimates for future remediation and other costs to determine appropriate environmental reserve amounts. For each site where the cost of remediation is probable and reasonably estimable, we determine the specific measures that are believed to be required to remediate the site, the estimated total cost to carry out the remediation plan, the portion of the total remediation costs to be borne by us and the anticipated time frame over which payments toward the remediation plan will occur. At sites where we expect to incur ongoing operation and maintenance expenditures, we accrue on an undiscounted basis for a period of generally 10 years those costs which we believe are probable and reasonably estimable. On September 17, 2012, our subsidiary Great Lakes Chemical Corporation received an enforcement notice from the United States Department of Justice acting on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) which has alleged violations of a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit issued under the Clean Water Act in conjunction with its facility in El Dorado, Arkansas. The EPA is seeking injunctive relief and civil penalties. While the calculated penalty is approximately $5 million, we believe the matter will be settled for an amount significantly lower than the calculated penalty and will not have a material effect. The total amount accrued for environmental liabilities as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 was $100 million and $84 million, respectively. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, $22 million and $15 million, respectively, of these environmental liabilities were reflected as accrued expenses and $78 million and $69 million, respectively, were reflected as other liabilities. We estimate that the reasonably possible ongoing environmental liabilities could range up to $116 million at March 31, 2013. Our accruals for environmental liabilities include estimates for determinable clean-up costs. We recorded pre-tax charges of $20 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 which included a $21 million charge related to a legacy non-operating site in France, and made payments of $3 million during the quarter ended March 31, 2013 for clean-up costs, which reduced our environmental liabilities. At certain sites, we have contractual agreements with certain other parties to share remediation costs. As of March 31, 2013, no receivables are outstanding related to these agreements. At a number of these sites, the extent of contamination has not yet been fully investigated or the final scope of remediation is not yet determinable. We intend to assert all meritorious legal defenses and will pursue other equitable factors that are available with respect to these matters. However, the final cost of clean-up at these sites could exceed our present estimates, and could have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Our estimates for environmental remediation liabilities may change in the future should additional sites be identified, further remediation measures be required or undertaken, current laws and regulations be modified or additional environmental laws and regulations be enacted, and as negotiations with respect to certain sites. Other We are routinely subject to other civil claims, litigation and arbitration, and regulatory investigations, arising in the ordinary course of our business, as well as in respect of our divested businesses. Some of these claims and litigations relate to product liability claims, including claims related to our current and historical products and asbestos-related claims concerning premises and historic products of our corporate affiliates and predecessors. We believe the claims relating to the period before the filing of the Chapter 11 cases are subject to discharge pursuant to the Plan and have been satisfied, to the extent they were timely filed in the Chapter 11 cases and allowed by the Bankruptcy Court, solely from the Disputed Claims Reserve. Further, we believe that we have strong defenses to these claims. These claims have not had a material impact on us to date and we believe the likelihood that a future material adverse outcome will result from these claims is remote. However, we cannot be certain that an adverse outcome of one or more of these claims, to the extent not discharged in the Chapter 11 cases, would not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Guarantees In addition to the letters of credit of $15 million and $14 million outstanding at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, we have guarantees that have been provided to various financial institutions. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, we had $12 million of outstanding guarantees. The letters of credit and guarantees were primarily related to liabilities for insurance obligations, environmental obligations, banking and credit facilities, vendor deposits and European value added tax (“VAT”) obligations. We have applied the disclosure provisions of ASC Topic 460, Guarantees (“ASC 460”), to our agreements that contain guarantee or indemnification clauses. We are a party to several agreements pursuant to which we may be obligated to indemnify a third party with respect to certain loan obligations of joint venture companies in which we have an equity interest. These obligations arose to provide initial financing for a joint venture start-up, fund an acquisition and/or provide project capital. Such obligations mature through May 2016. In the event that any of the joint venture companies were to default on these loan obligations, we would indemnify the other party up to its proportionate share of the obligation based upon its ownership interest in the joint venture. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the maximum potential future principal and interest payments due under these guarantees were $3 million. In accordance with ASC 460, we have accrued less than $1 million in reserves, which represents the probability weighted fair value of these guarantees at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012. The reserve has been included in other liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 with an offset to the investment included in other assets. In addition, we have financing agreements with banks in Brazil for certain customers under which we receive funds from the banks at invoice date, and in turn, the customer agrees to pay the banks on the due date. We provide a full recourse guarantee to the banks in the event of customer non-payment. In the ordinary course of business, we enter into contractual arrangements under which we may agree to indemnify a third party to such arrangement from any losses incurred relating to the services they perform on our behalf or for losses arising from certain events as defined within the particular contract, which may include, for example, litigation, claims or environmental matters relating to our past performance. For any losses that we believe are probable and estimable, we have accrued for such amounts in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

17) LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AND CONTINGENCIES

We are involved in claims, litigation, administrative proceedings and investigations of various types in a number of jurisdictions. A number of such matters involve, or may involve, claims for a material amount of damages and relate to or allege, among other things, environmental liabilities, including clean-up costs associated with hazardous waste disposal sites, natural resource damages, property damage and personal injury.

As a result of the Chapter 11 cases, substantially all prepetition litigation and claims against us and our subsidiaries that were Debtors in the Chapter 11 cases have been discharged and permanently enjoined from further prosecution and are described below under the subheading “Prepetition Litigation and Claims Discharged Under the Plan.”

Claims and legal actions asserted against non-Debtors or relating to events occurring after the Effective Date, certain regulatory and administrative proceedings and certain contractual and other claims assumed with the authorization of the Bankruptcy Court, were not discharged in the Chapter 11 cases and are described below under the subheading “Litigation and Claims Not Discharged Under the Plan.”

Prepetition Litigation and Claims Discharged Under the Plan

Chapter 11 Plan and Establishment of Claims Reserves

On March 18, 2009, the Debtors filed voluntary petitions in the Bankruptcy Court seeking relief under Chapter 11. The Debtors’ Chapter 11 cases were assigned to the Honorable Robert E. Gerber and are being jointly administered as Case No. 09-11233. The Debtors continued to operate their business as debtors in possession under the jurisdiction of the Bankruptcy Court until their emergence from Chapter 11 on November 10, 2010.

Pursuant to the Plan, and by orders of the Bankruptcy Court dated September 24, 2010, October 19, 2010 and October 29, 2010, the Debtors established the Diacetyl Reserve, the Environmental Reserve and the Disputed Claims Reserve, each as defined in the Plan, on account of claims that were not yet allowed in the Chapter 11 cases as of the Effective Date, including proofs of claim asserted against the Debtors that were subject to objection as of the Effective Date (the “Disputed Claims”). The Diacetyl Reserve was approved by the Bankruptcy Court in the amount of $7 million, comprised of separate segregated reserves, and has since been reduced as settlement agreements have been approved by the Bankruptcy Court. The Environmental Reserve was approved by the Bankruptcy Court in the amount of $38 million, a portion of which was further segregated into certain separate reserves established to account for settlements that were pending Bankruptcy Court approval, and has since been reduced as settlement agreements have been approved by the Bankruptcy Court. The Disputed Claims Reserve was approved by the Bankruptcy Court in the amount of $42 million, plus additional segregated individual reserves for certain creditors’ claims in the aggregate amount of approximately $30 million, all of which have been reduced as settlement agreements have been approved by the Bankruptcy Court.

On June 24, 2011, we resolved the final disputed Environmental Claim. As a result, under the Plan, the amounts remaining in the Environmental Reserve were transferred to the Disputed Claims Reserve. Any remaining Disputed Claims, to the extent they were ultimately allowed by the Bankruptcy Court, were satisfied (to the extent allowed and not covered by insurance) from the Disputed Claims Reserve. Holders of the Disputed Claims are permanently enjoined under the Plan from pursuing their claims against us. On May 4, 2012, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order disallowing the last Disputed Claim subject to the Disputed Claims Reserve. In July 2012, we made a final distribution to Holders of Interests in accordance with the Plan that included all amounts remaining in the Disputed Claims Reserve.

Litigation and Claims Not Discharged Under the Plan

Environmental Liabilities

We are involved in environmental matters of various types in a number of jurisdictions. A number of such matters involve claims for material amounts of damages and relate to or allege environmental liabilities, including clean up costs associated with hazardous waste disposal sites and natural resource damages.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (“CERCLA”), and comparable state statutes impose strict liability upon various classes of persons with respect to the costs associated with the investigation and remediation of waste disposal sites. Such persons are typically referred to as “Potentially Responsible Parties” or PRPs. Chemtura and several of our subsidiaries have been identified by federal, state or local governmental agencies or by other PRPs, as a PRP at various locations in the United States. Because in certain circumstances these laws have been construed to authorize the imposition of joint and several liability, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and comparable state agencies could seek to recover all costs involving a waste disposal site from any one of the PRPs for such site, including Chemtura, despite the involvement of other PRPs. In many cases, we are one of a large number of PRPs with respect to a site. In a few instances, we are the sole or one of only a handful of PRPs performing investigation and remediation. Where other financially responsible PRPs are involved, we expect that any ultimate liability resulting from such matters will be apportioned between us and such other parties. In addition, we are involved with environmental remediation and compliance activities at some of our current and former sites in the United States and abroad.

Each quarter, we evaluate and review estimates for future remediation and other costs to determine appropriate environmental reserve amounts. For each site where the cost of remediation is probable and reasonably estimable, we determine the specific measures that are believed to be required to remediate the site, the estimated total cost to carry out the remediation plan, the portion of the total remediation costs to be borne by us and the anticipated time frame over which payments toward the remediation plan will occur. At sites where we expect to incur ongoing operation and maintenance expenditures, we accrue on an undiscounted basis for a period of generally 10 years those costs which we believe are probable and reasonably estimable.

On September 17, 2012, our subsidiary Great Lakes Chemical Corporation received an enforcement notice from the United States Department of Justice acting on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) which has alleged violations of a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit issued under the Clean Water Act in conjunction with its facility in El Dorado, Arkansas. The EPA is seeking injunctive relief and civil penalties. While the calculated penalty is approximately $5 million, we believe the matter will be settled for an amount significantly lower than the calculated penalty and will not have a material effect.

The total amount accrued for environmental liabilities as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 was $100 million and $84 million, respectively. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, $22 million and $15 million, respectively, of these environmental liabilities were reflected as accrued expenses and $78 million and $69 million, respectively, were reflected as other liabilities. We estimate that the reasonably possible ongoing environmental liabilities could range up to $116 million at March 31, 2013. Our accruals for environmental liabilities include estimates for determinable clean-up costs. We recorded pre-tax charges of $20 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 which included a $21 million charge related to a legacy non-operating site in France, and made payments of $3 million during the quarter ended March 31, 2013 for clean-up costs, which reduced our environmental liabilities. At certain sites, we have contractual agreements with certain other parties to share remediation costs. As of March 31, 2013, no receivables are outstanding related to these agreements. At a number of these sites, the extent of contamination has not yet been fully investigated or the final scope of remediation is not yet determinable. We intend to assert all meritorious legal defenses and will pursue other equitable factors that are available with respect to these matters. However, the final cost of clean-up at these sites could exceed our present estimates, and could have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Our estimates for environmental remediation liabilities may change in the future should additional sites be identified, further remediation measures be required or undertaken, current laws and regulations be modified or additional environmental laws and regulations be enacted, and as negotiations with respect to certain sites.

Other

We are routinely subject to other civil claims, litigation and arbitration, and regulatory investigations, arising in the ordinary course of our business, as well as in respect of our divested businesses. Some of these claims and litigations relate to product liability claims, including claims related to our current and historical products and asbestos-related claims concerning premises and historic products of our corporate affiliates and predecessors. We believe the claims relating to the period before the filing of the Chapter 11 cases are subject to discharge pursuant to the Plan and have been satisfied, to the extent they were timely filed in the Chapter 11 cases and allowed by the Bankruptcy Court, solely from the Disputed Claims Reserve. Further, we believe that we have strong defenses to these claims. These claims have not had a material impact on us to date and we believe the likelihood that a future material adverse outcome will result from these claims is remote.

However, we cannot be certain that an adverse outcome of one or more of these claims, to the extent not discharged in the Chapter 11 cases, would not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Guarantees

In addition to the letters of credit of $15 million and $14 million outstanding at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, we have guarantees that have been provided to various financial institutions. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, we had $12 million of outstanding guarantees. The letters of credit and guarantees were primarily related to liabilities for insurance obligations, environmental obligations, banking and credit facilities, vendor deposits and European value added tax (“VAT”) obligations.

We have applied the disclosure provisions of ASC Topic 460, Guarantees (“ASC 460”), to our agreements that contain guarantee or indemnification clauses. We are a party to several agreements pursuant to which we may be obligated to indemnify a third party with respect to certain loan obligations of joint venture companies in which we have an equity interest. These obligations arose to provide initial financing for a joint venture start-up, fund an acquisition and/or provide project capital. Such obligations mature through May 2016. In the event that any of the joint venture companies were to default on these loan obligations, we would indemnify the other party up to its proportionate share of the obligation based upon its ownership interest in the joint venture. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the maximum potential future principal and interest payments due under these guarantees were $3 million. In accordance with ASC 460, we have accrued less than $1 million in reserves, which represents the probability weighted fair value of these guarantees at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012. The reserve has been included in other liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 with an offset to the investment included in other assets.

In addition, we have financing agreements with banks in Brazil for certain customers under which we receive funds from the banks at invoice date, and in turn, the customer agrees to pay the banks on the due date. We provide a full recourse guarantee to the banks in the event of customer non-payment.

In the ordinary course of business, we enter into contractual arrangements under which we may agree to indemnify a third party to such arrangement from any losses incurred relating to the services they perform on our behalf or for losses arising from certain events as defined within the particular contract, which may include, for example, litigation, claims or environmental matters relating to our past performance. For any losses that we believe are probable and estimable, we have accrued for such amounts in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.