Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset retirement obligations generally applies to legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets that result from the acquisition, construction, development and/or the normal operation of a long-lived asset. Accordingly, the Company recognizes asset retirement obligations in the period in which they are incurred if a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. The associated asset retirement costs are capitalized as part of the carrying amount of the long-lived asset. The Company continues to depreciate, on a straight-line basis, the amount added to property, plant and equipment and recognizes accretion expense in connection with the discounted liability over the various remaining lives which range from approximately one to twenty-seven years.

The Company recognized as a liability the present value of the estimated future costs to decommission its nuclear laundry facilities. The estimated liability is based on historical experience in decommissioning nuclear laundry facilities, estimated useful lives of the underlying assets, external vendor estimates as to the cost to decommission these assets in the future, and federal and state regulatory requirements. The estimated current costs have been adjusted for the estimated impact of inflation at 3% per year. The liability has been discounted using credit-adjusted risk-free rates that range from approximately 7.0% to 7.5% over one to twenty-seven years. Revisions to the liability could occur due to changes in the Company’s estimated useful lives of the underlying assets, estimated dates of decommissioning, changes in decommissioning costs, changes in federal or state regulatory guidance on the decommissioning of such facilities, or other changes in estimates. Changes due to revised estimates will be recognized by adjusting the carrying amount of the liability and the related long-lived asset if the assets are still in service, or charged to expense in the period if the assets are no longer in service.

A rollforward of the Company’s asset retirement liability is as follows for fiscal 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):



	August 26, 2017			August 27, 2016
Beginning balance	$	13,032		$	12,381
Accretion expense	853			826
Effect of exchange rate changes	230			(69		)
Asset retirement liabilities settled	—			(500		)
Change in estimate	(715		)	394
Ending balance	$	13,400		$	13,032

The Company’s asset retirement obligations are included in current and long-term accrued liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.