Accruals for environmental matters are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated, based on current law and existing technologies. At September 30, 2019, Dow had accrued obligations of $1,193 million for probable environmental remediation and restoration costs, including $211 million for the remediation of Superfund sites. These obligations are included in "Accrued and other current liabilities" and "Other noncurrent obligations" in the consolidated balance sheets. This is management’s best estimate of the costs for remediation and restoration with respect to environmental matters for which Dow has accrued liabilities, although it is reasonably possible that the ultimate cost with respect to these particular matters could range up to approximately one and a half times that amount. Consequently, it is reasonably possible that environmental remediation and restoration costs in excess of amounts accrued could have a material impact on Dow’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. It is the opinion of Dow’s management, however, that the possibility is remote that costs in excess of the range disclosed will have a material impact on Dow’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Inherent uncertainties exist in these estimates primarily due to unknown conditions, changing governmental regulations and legal standards regarding liability, and emerging remediation technologies for handling site remediation and restoration. As new or additional information becomes available and/or certain spending trends become known, management will evaluate such information in determination of the current estimate of environmental liability. At December 31, 2018, Dow had accrued obligations of $810 million for probable environmental remediation and restoration costs, including $156 million for the remediation of Superfund sites.

During the third quarter of 2019, the Company recorded a pretax charge related to environmental remediation matters at a number of current and historical locations. The charge primarily resulted from: the culmination of long-standing negotiations and discussions with regulators and agencies, including technical studies supporting higher cost estimates for final or staged remediation plans; the Company’s evaluation of the cost required to manage remediation activities at sites affected by Dow’s separation from DowDuPont and related agreements with Corteva and DuPont; and, the Company’s review of its closure strategies and obligations to monitor ongoing operations and maintenance activities. In addition, the Company recorded indemnification assets of $48 million related to Dow Silicones’ environmental matters. The Company recognized a pretax charge, net of indemnifications, of $399 million related to these environmental matters, included in “Cost of sales” in the consolidated statements of income and related to Packaging & Specialty Plastics ($5 million), Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure ($8 million), Performance Materials & Coatings ($50 million) and Corporate ($336 million).

Union Carbide is and has been involved in a large number of asbestos-related suits filed primarily in state courts during the past four decades. These suits principally allege personal injury resulting from exposure to asbestos-containing products and frequently seek both actual and punitive damages. The alleged claims primarily relate to products that Union Carbide sold in the past, alleged exposure to asbestos-containing products located on Union Carbide’s premises and Union Carbide’s responsibility for asbestos suits filed against a former Union Carbide subsidiary, Amchem Products, Inc. (“Amchem”). In many cases, plaintiffs are unable to demonstrate that they have suffered any compensable loss as a result of such exposure, or that injuries incurred in fact resulted from exposure to Union Carbide’s products.

Since 2003, Union Carbide has engaged Ankura Consulting Group, LLC ("Ankura"), a third party actuarial specialist, to review Union Carbide's historical asbestos-related claim and resolution activity in order to assist Union Carbide's management in estimating the asbestos-related liability. Each year, Ankura reviews the claim and resolution activity to determine the appropriateness of updating the most recent Ankura study.

Each quarter, Union Carbide reviews claims filed, settled and dismissed, as well as average settlement and resolution costs by disease category. Union Carbide also considers additional quantitative and qualitative factors such as the nature of pending claims, trial experience of Union Carbide and other asbestos defendants, current spending for defense and processing costs, significant appellate rulings and legislative developments, trends in the tort system, and their respective effects on expected future resolution costs. Union Carbide's management considers all these factors in conjunction with the most recent Ankura study and determines whether a change in the estimate is warranted. Based on Union Carbide's review of 2019 activity, it was determined that no adjustment to the accrual was required at September 30, 2019.

Dow's management believes the amounts recorded by Union Carbide for the asbestos-related liability (including defense and processing costs) reflect reasonable and probable estimates of the liability based upon current, known facts. However, future events, such as the number of new claims to be filed and/or received each year, the average cost of defending and disposing of each such claim, as well as the numerous uncertainties surrounding asbestos litigation in the United States over a significant period of time, could cause the actual costs for Union Carbide to be higher or lower than those projected or those recorded. Any such events could result in an increase or decrease in the recorded liability.

Because of the uncertainties described above, Union Carbide cannot estimate the full range of the cost of resolving pending and future asbestos-related claims facing Union Carbide and Amchem. As a result, it is reasonably possible that an additional cost of disposing of Union Carbide's asbestos-related claims, including future defense and processing costs, could have a material impact on Dow's results of operations and cash flows for a particular period and on the consolidated financial position.

In 1995, Dow Silicones, then a 50:50 joint venture between the Company and Corning Incorporated ("Corning"), voluntarily filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in order to resolve Dow Silicones’ breast implant liabilities and related matters (the “Chapter 11 Proceeding”). Dow Silicones emerged from the Chapter 11 Proceeding on June 1, 2004 (the “Effective Date”) and is implementing the Joint Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”). The Plan provides funding for the resolution of breast implant and other product liability litigation covered by the Chapter 11 Proceeding and provides a process for the satisfaction of commercial creditor claims in the Chapter 11 Proceeding. As of June 1, 2016, Dow Silicones is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

Under the Plan, a product liability settlement program administered by an independent claims office (the “Settlement Facility”) was created to resolve breast implant and other product liability claims. Product liability claimants rejecting the settlement program in favor of pursuing litigation must bring suit against a litigation facility (the “Litigation Facility”). Dow Silicones has an obligation to fund the Settlement Facility and the Litigation Facility over a 16-year period, commencing at the Effective Date. At September 30, 2019, Dow Silicones and its insurers have made life-to-date payments of $1,762 million to the Settlement Facility and the Settlement Facility reported an unexpended balance of $81 million.

In the third quarter of 2019, with the assistance of a third party consultant ("Consultant"), Dow Silicones updated its estimate of its liability for breast implant and other product liability claims ("Implant Liability") to $165 million, primarily reflecting a decrease in Class 16 claims, a decrease resulting from the passage of time, decreased claim filing activity and administrative costs compared with the previous estimate, and an increase in investment income resulting from insurance proceeds. Based on the Consultant's updated estimate and Dow Silicones own review of claim filing activity, Dow Silicones determined that an adjustment to the Implant Liability was required. Accordingly, Dow Silicones decreased its Implant Liability in the third quarter of 2019 by $98 million, included in "Sundry income (expense) - net" in the consolidated statements of income, and also decreased its corresponding Class 16 receivable in the third quarter of 2019, resulting in a charge of $13 million, included in “Sundry income (expense) - net” in the consolidated statements of income (both related to the Corporate segment). Dow Silicones' Implant Liability was $165 million at September 30, 2019 ($263 million at December 31, 2018), of which zero at September 30, 2019 ($111 million at December 31, 2018) was included in “Accrued and other current liabilities” and $165 million at September 30, 2019 ($152 million at December 31, 2018) was included in "Other noncurrent obligations" in the consolidated balance sheets.

Dow Silicones is not aware of circumstances that would change the factors used in estimating the Implant Liability and believes the recorded liability reflects the best estimate of the remaining funding obligations under the Plan; however, the estimate relies upon a number of significant assumptions, including: future acceptance rates, disease mix, and payment values will be materially consistent with historical experience; no material negative outcomes in future controversies or disputes over Plan interpretation will occur; and the Plan will not be modified. If actual outcomes related to any of these assumptions prove to be materially different, the future liability to fund the Plan may be materially different than the amount estimated. If Dow Silicones was ultimately required to fund the full liability up to the maximum capped value, the liability would be $2,220 million at September 30, 2019.

The Plan provides that each of Dow Silicones' commercial creditors (the “Commercial Creditors”) would receive in cash the sum of (a) an amount equal to the principal amount of their claims and (b) interest on such claims. Upon the Plan becoming effective, Dow Silicones paid approximately $1,500 million to the Commercial Creditors, representing principal and an amount of interest that Dow Silicones considered undisputed.

On August 19, 2019, Dow Silicones entered into a settlement agreement with the Commercial Creditors, obligating Dow Silicones to pay $172 million, inclusive of the Commercial Creditors' legal costs. The settlement was approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and will be paid in the fourth quarter of 2019. As a result of the settlement agreement, in the third quarter of 2019, the Company recorded a pretax charge of $50 million, net of indemnifications of $37 million, included in "Sundry Income (expense) - net" in the consolidated statements of income and related to the Corporate segment. At September 30, 2019, the liability related to Dow Silicones' potential obligation to its Commercial Creditors was $172 million and included in "Accrued and other current liabilities" in the consolidated balance sheets ($82 million at December 31, 2018).

The amounts recorded by Dow Silicones for the Chapter 11 related matters described above were based on current, known facts, which management believes reflect reasonable and probable estimates of the liability. However, future events could cause the actual costs for Dow Silicones to be higher or lower than those projected or those recorded. Any such events could result in an increase or decrease in the recorded liability.

In addition to the specific matters described above, the Company is party to a number of other claims and lawsuits arising out of the normal course of business with respect to product liability, patent infringement, employment matters, governmental tax and regulation disputes, contract and commercial litigation, and other actions. Certain of these actions purport to be class actions and seek damages in very large amounts. All such claims are being contested. The Company has an active risk management program consisting of numerous insurance policies secured from many carriers at various times. These policies may provide coverage that could be utilized to minimize the financial impact, if any, of certain contingencies described above. It is the opinion of the Company’s management that the possibility is remote that the aggregate of all such other claims and lawsuits will have a material adverse impact on the results of operations, financial condition and cash flows of the Company.

In connection with the June 1, 2016 ownership restructure of Dow Silicones, the Company is indemnified by Corning for at least 50 percent of future losses associated with certain pre-closing liabilities, including the Implant Liability, Commercial Creditors issues and certain environmental matters described in the preceding sections, subject to certain conditions and limits. The maximum amount of indemnified losses which may be recovered are subject to a cap that declines over time. The Company had indemnification assets of $100 million at September 30, 2019 (zero at December 31, 2018), of which $37 million was included in "Other current assets" and $63 million was included in "Noncurrent receivables" in the consolidated balance sheets.

On December 9, 2010, Dow filed suit in the Federal Court in Ontario, Canada ("Federal Court") alleging that Nova was infringing the Company's Canadian polyethylene patent 2,106,705. Nova counterclaimed on the grounds of invalidity and non-infringement. On June 29, 2017, the Federal Court issued a Confidential Supplemental Judgment, concluding that Nova must pay $645 million Canadian dollars (equivalent to $495 million U.S. dollars) to the Company, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, for which the Company received payment of $501 million from Nova on July 6, 2017. Although Nova is appealing portions of the damages judgment, certain portions of it are indisputable and will be owed to the Company regardless of the outcome of any further appeals by Nova. At September 30, 2019, the Company had $341 million ($341 million at December 31, 2018) included in "Other noncurrent obligations" in the consolidated balance sheets related to the disputed portion of the damages judgment. The Company is confident of its chances of defending the entire judgment on appeal, particularly the trial court's determinations on important factual issues, which will be accorded deferential review on appeal. See Note 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Dow Inc. and TDCC's 2018 10-K Recast filed with the SEC on July 25, 2019 for additional information.

On September 18, 2019, the Court of the Queen’s Bench in Alberta, Canada, signed a judgment ordering Nova to pay the Company $1.43 billion Canadian dollars (equivalent to approximately $1.08 billion U.S. dollars) by October 11, 2019, for damages the Company incurred through 2012 related to the companies’ jointly-owned ethylene asset in Joffre, Alberta, Canada. The Court, which initially ruled in June 2018, found that Nova failed to operate the ethylene asset at full capacity for more than ten years, and furthermore, that Nova violated several contractual agreements related to the Company receiving its share of the asset’s ethylene production. These actions resulted in reduced productivity and sales for the Company. Nova has appealed the judgment, however, certain portions of it are not in dispute and are owed to the Company regardless of the outcome of Nova's appeal. As a result of these actions and in accordance with ASC 450-30 “Gain Contingencies,” the Company recorded a $186 million pretax gain in the third quarter of 2019, of which $170 million was included in "Sundry income (expense) - net" and $16 million was included in "Selling, general and administrative expenses" in the consolidated statements of income and related to the Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment. At September 30, 2019, included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets were $1,079 million in “Accounts and notes receivable - Other” for the damages judgment and $893 million in "Other noncurrent obligations" related to the disputed portion of the damages judgment. Dow is confident of its chances of defending the entire judgment on appeal, particularly the trial court's determinations on important factual and discretionary issues, which will be accorded deferential review on appeal. On October 10, 2019, Nova paid $1.08 billion Canadian dollars directly to the Company, and remitted $347 million Canadian dollars to the Canada Revenue Agency ("CRA") for the tax account of one of the Company's subsidiaries. The Company will seek a refund of the entire amount remitted to the CRA.

Guarantees arise during the ordinary course of business from relationships with customers and nonconsolidated affiliates when the Company undertakes an obligation to guarantee the performance of others (via delivery of cash or other assets) if specified triggering events occur. With guarantees, such as commercial or financial contracts, non-performance by the guaranteed party triggers the obligation of the Company to make payments to the beneficiary of the guarantee. The majority of the Company’s guarantees relate to debt of nonconsolidated affiliates, which have expiration dates ranging from less than one year to less than four years. The Company’s current expectation is that future payment or performance related to the non-performance of others is considered remote.

The Company has entered into guarantee agreements ("Guarantees") related to project financing for Sadara. The total of an Islamic bond and additional project financing (collectively “Total Project Financing”) obtained by Sadara is approximately $12.5 billion. Sadara had $11.2 billion of Total Project Financing outstanding at September 30, 2019 ($11.7 billion at December 31, 2018). The Company's guarantee of the Total Project Financing is in proportion to the Company's 35 percent ownership interest in Sadara, or up to approximately $4.1 billion when the project financing is fully drawn. Sadara successfully completed an extensive operational testing program in December 2018, however, the Guarantees will be released upon the satisfactory fulfillment of certain project completion conditions, which is expected by the end of 2019, and must occur no later than December 2020.