CONTINGENCIES AND COMMITMENTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Contingencies And Committment [Abstract]

CONTINGENCIES AND COMMITMENTS

19.       CONTINGENCIES AND COMMITMENTS       

Legal Proceedings

In January 2007, a former executive was awarded approximately $9.0 million in punitive and compensatory damages plus legal costs related to a gender bias lawsuit filed in 2003. The Corporation recorded a $6.5 million reserve related to the lawsuit. In August of 2009, the New Jersey Appellate Division reversed in part and affirmed in part the judgment of the trial court, resulting in the setting aside of the punitive damage award and the front pay award of the Plaintiff's compensatory damages award. The Plaintiff filed a Petition for Certification with the Supreme Court of New Jersey requesting review of the Appellate Division's decision. In December 2010, the Supreme Court of New Jersey issued an opinion reversing the Appellate Division's decision, and reinstated the judgment rendered by the trial court. The Corporation filed a Motion for Reconsideration with the Supreme Court of New Jersey. In the motion, the Corporation requested that the Supreme Court of New Jersey remand the case back to the lower Appellate Division to resolve certain arguments raised by the Corporation regarding the appropriateness of damages. The Supreme Court of New Jersey has granted the Corporation's request for reconsideration and remanded the case back to the lower Appellate Division to decide the remaining undecided arguments raised by the Corporation. In September 2011, the Appellate Court heard argument on the remaining unresolved issues in the case. To date, there has been no decision rendered by the Appellate Court.The total reserve related to the lawsuit as of December 31, 2011 is $10.3 million and recorded within Other current liabilitiesof the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Consistent with other entities its size, the Corporation is party to a number of legal actions and claims, none of which individually or in the aggregate, in the opinion of management, are expected to have a material effect on the Corporation's results of operations or financial position.

Environmental Matters

The Corporation, through its Flow Control segment, has several NRC licenses necessary for the continued operation of its commercial nuclear operations. In connection with these licenses, the NRC required financial assurance from the Corporation in the form of a parent company guarantee, representing estimated environmental decommissioning and remediation costs associated with the commercial operations covered by the licenses. The guarantee for the decommissioning costs of the refurbishment facility, which is estimated for 2017, is $4.5 million. See Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Letters of Credit and Other Arrangements

The Corporation enters into standby letters of credit agreements and guarantees with financial institutions and customers primarily relating to guarantees of repayment on certain Industrial Revenue Bonds, future performance on certain contracts to provide products and services, and to secure advance payments the Corporation has received from certain international customers. At December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, the Corporation had contingent liabilities on outstanding letters of credit of $55.8 million, $47.0million, and $47.3 million, respectively.

AP1000 Program

The Corporation's Electro-Mechanical Division is the reactor coolant pump (“RCP”) supplier for the Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power plants under construction in China. The first RCP was scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2011. During the final phase of testing, the Corporation detected a localized heating issue in the pump stator. The Corporation is taking the necessary steps to ensure the long-term reliability and safety of the RCP and as a result increased the estimated contract costs,which did not result in a material impact to the Corporation's financial results. Based upon current negotiations with the customer, the Corporation believes that the existing contract will be modified to reflect revised delivery dates and that any damage or incentive provisions will be revised accordingly. Based upon the information available, the Corporation does not believe that the ultimate outcome will result in a material impact to its operations or cash flows.