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Landfill and Environmental Remediation Liabilities
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Text Block [Abstract]  
Landfill and Environmental Remediation Liabilities
2. Landfill and Environmental Remediation Liabilities

Liabilities for landfill and environmental remediation costs are presented in the table below (in millions):

 

     September 30, 2015      December 31, 2014  
     Landfill      Environmental
Remediation
     Total      Landfill      Environmental
Remediation
     Total  

Current (in accrued liabilities)

   $ 103       $ 41       $ 144       $ 104       $ 43       $ 147   

Long-term

     1,417         188         1,605         1,339         192         1,531   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 1,520       $ 229       $ 1,749       $ 1,443       $ 235       $ 1,678   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The changes to landfill and environmental remediation liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2014 and the nine months ended September 30, 2015 are reflected in the table below (in millions):

 

     Landfill      Environmental
Remediation
 

December 31, 2013

   $ 1,421       $ 227   

Obligations incurred and capitalized

     54         —     

Obligations settled

     (69      (21

Interest accretion

     88         5   

Revisions in estimates and interest rate assumptions

     (9      25   

Acquisitions, divestitures and other adjustments(a)

     (42      (1
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2014

     1,443         235   

Obligations incurred and capitalized

     46         —     

Obligations settled

     (50      (15

Interest accretion

     66         3   

Revisions in estimates and interest rate assumptions

     6         7   

Acquisitions, divestitures and other adjustments(b)

     9         (1
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

September 30, 2015

   $ 1,520       $ 229   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) The amounts reported for our 2014 landfill liabilities include reductions of $25 million for divestitures, including the divestiture of our Wheelabrator business. See Note 9 for discussion of our divestitures.
(b) The amounts reported for our 2015 landfill liabilities include an increase of $18 million associated with the acquisition of Deffenbaugh Disposal, Inc. (“Deffenbaugh”). See Note 9 for discussion of our acquisition.

At several of our landfills, we provide financial assurance by depositing cash into restricted trust funds or escrow accounts for purposes of settling final capping, closure, post-closure and environmental remediation obligations. Generally, these trust funds are established to comply with statutory requirements and operating agreements. See Note 15 for additional information related to these trusts.