| Commitments and Contingent Liabilities | 9 Months Ended |
| Sep. 30, 2014 |
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | ' |
| Commitments and Contingent Liabilities | ' |
| Commitments and Contingent Liabilities |
| PPG is involved in a number of lawsuits and claims, both actual and potential, including some that it has asserted against others, in which substantial monetary damages are sought. These lawsuits and claims, the most significant of which are described below, relate to contract, patent, environmental, product liability, antitrust and other matters arising out of the conduct of PPG’s current and past business activities. To the extent that these lawsuits and claims involve personal injury and property damage, PPG believes it has adequate insurance; however, certain of PPG’s insurers are contesting coverage with respect to some of these claims, and other insurers, as they had prior to the asbestos settlement described below, may contest coverage with respect to some of the asbestos claims if the settlement is not implemented. PPG’s lawsuits and claims against others include claims against insurers and other third parties with respect to actual and contingent losses related to environmental, asbestos and other matters. |
| The results of any current or future litigation and claims are inherently unpredictable. However, management believes that, in the aggregate, the outcome of all lawsuits and claims involving PPG, including asbestos-related claims in the event the settlement described below does not become effective, will not have a material effect on PPG’s consolidated financial position or liquidity; however, such outcome may be material to the results of operations of any particular period in which costs, if any, are recognized. |
| Foreign Tax Matter |
| In June 2014, PPG received a notice from a Foreign Tax Authority (“FTA”) inviting the Company to pay interest totaling approximately $70 million for failure to withhold taxes on a 2009 intercompany dividend. Prior to the payment of the dividend, PPG obtained a ruling from the FTA which indicated that the dividend was tax-exempt and eligible for a simplified no-withholding procedure provided that certain administrative criteria were met. The FTA is now asserting that PPG did not meet all of the administrative criteria for the simplified procedure, and consequently taxes should have been withheld by the dividend payer, which would have made the dividend recipient eligible for a refund. The Company disagrees with the FTA's assertion. The notice from the FTA is not a formal assessment, and PPG plans to vigorously defend against any assessment that may be received. |
| Asbestos Matters |
| For over 30 years, PPG has been a defendant in lawsuits involving claims alleging personal injury from exposure to asbestos. Most of PPG’s potential exposure relates to allegations by plaintiffs that PPG should be liable for injuries involving asbestos-containing thermal insulation products, known as Unibestos, manufactured and distributed by Pittsburgh Corning Corporation (“PC”). PPG and Corning Incorporated are each 50% shareholders of PC. PPG has denied responsibility for, and has defended, all claims for any injuries caused by PC products. As of the April 16, 2000 order which stayed and enjoined asbestos claims against PPG (as discussed below), PPG was one of many defendants in numerous asbestos-related lawsuits involving approximately 114,000 claims served on PPG. During the period of the stay, PPG generally has not been aware of the dispositions, if any, of these asbestos claims. |
| Background of PC Bankruptcy Plan of Reorganization |
| On April 16, 2000, PC filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania located in Pittsburgh, Pa. Accordingly, in the first quarter of 2000, PPG recorded an after-tax charge of $35 million for the write-off of all of its investment in PC. As a consequence of the bankruptcy filing and various motions and orders in that proceeding, the asbestos litigation against PPG (as well as against PC) has been stayed and the filing of additional asbestos suits against them has been enjoined, until 30 days after the effective date of a confirmed plan of reorganization for PC substantially in accordance with the settlement arrangement among PPG and several other parties discussed below. By its terms, the stay may be terminated if the settlement arrangement set forth below is not likely to be consummated. |
| On May 14, 2002, PPG announced that it had agreed with several other parties, including certain of its insurance carriers, the official committee representing asbestos claimants in the PC bankruptcy, and the legal representatives of future asbestos claimants appointed in the PC bankruptcy, on the terms of a settlement arrangement relating to certain asbestos claims against PPG and PC (the “2002 PPG Settlement Arrangement”). |
| On March 28, 2003, Corning Incorporated announced that it had separately reached its own arrangement with the representatives of asbestos claimants for the settlement of certain asbestos claims against Corning Incorporated and PC (the “2003 Corning Settlement Arrangement”). |
| The terms of the 2002 PPG Settlement Arrangement and the 2003 Corning Settlement Arrangement were incorporated into a bankruptcy reorganization plan for PC along with a disclosure statement describing the plan, which PC filed with the Bankruptcy Court on April 30, 2003. Amendments to the plan and disclosure statement were subsequently filed. On November 26, 2003, after considering objections to the second amended disclosure statement and plan of reorganization, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order approving such disclosure statement and directing that it be sent to creditors, including asbestos claimants, for voting. In March 2004, the second amended PC plan of reorganization (the “second amended PC plan of reorganization”) received the required votes to approve the plan with a channeling injunction for present and future asbestos claimants under §524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code. After voting results for the second amended PC plan of reorganization were received, the Bankruptcy Court judge conducted a hearing regarding the fairness of the settlement, including whether the plan would be fair with respect to present and future claimants, whether such claimants would be treated in substantially the same manner, and whether the protection provided to PPG and its participating insurers would be fair in view of the assets they would convey to the asbestos settlement trust (the “Trust”) to be established as part of the second amended PC plan of reorganization. At that hearing, creditors and other parties in interest raised objections to the second amended PC plan of reorganization. Following that hearing, the Bankruptcy Court scheduled oral arguments for the contested items. |
| The Bankruptcy Court heard oral arguments on the contested items on November 17-18, 2004. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Bankruptcy Court agreed to consider certain post-hearing written submissions. In a further development, on February 2, 2005, the Bankruptcy Court established a briefing schedule to address whether certain aspects of a decision of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals in an unrelated case had any applicability to the second amended PC plan of reorganization. Oral arguments on these matters were subsequently held in March 2005. During an omnibus hearing on February 28, 2006, the Bankruptcy Court judge stated that she was prepared to rule on the PC plan of reorganization in the near future, provided certain amendments were made to the plan. Those amendments were filed, as directed, on March 17, 2006. After further conferences and supplemental briefings, in December 2006, the court denied confirmation of the second amended PC plan of reorganization, on the basis that the plan was too broad in the treatment of allegedly independent asbestos claims not associated with PC. |
| Terms of 2002 PPG Settlement Arrangement |
| PPG had no obligation to pay any amounts under the 2002 PPG Settlement Arrangement until 30 days after the second amended PC plan of reorganization was finally approved by an appropriate court order that was no longer subject to appellate review (the “Effective Date”). If the second amended PC plan of reorganization had been approved as proposed, PPG and certain of its insurers (along with PC) would have made payments on the Effective Date to the Trust, which would have provided the sole source of payment for all present and future asbestos bodily injury claims against PPG, its subsidiaries or PC alleged to be caused by the manufacture, distribution or sale of asbestos products by these companies. PPG would have conveyed the following assets to the Trust: (i) the stock it owns in PC and Pittsburgh Corning Europe, (ii) 1,388,889 shares of PPG’s common stock and (iii) aggregate cash payments to the Trust of approximately $998 million, payable according to a fixed payment schedule over 21 years, beginning on June 30, 2003, or, if later, the Effective Date. PPG would have had the right, in its sole discretion, to prepay these cash payments to the Trust at any time at a discount rate of 5.5% per annum as of the prepayment date. In addition to the conveyance of these assets, PPG would have paid $30 million in legal fees and expenses on behalf of the Trust to recover proceeds from certain historical insurance assets, including policies issued by certain insurance carriers that were not participating in the settlement, the rights to which would have been assigned to the Trust by PPG. |
| Under the proposed 2002 PPG Settlement Arrangement, PPG’s participating historical insurance carriers would have made cash payments to the Trust of approximately $1.7 billion between the Effective Date and 2023. These payments could also have been prepaid to the Trust at any time at a discount rate of 5.5% per annum as of the prepayment date. In addition, as referenced above, PPG would have assigned to the Trust its rights, insofar as they related to the asbestos claims to have been resolved by the Trust, to the proceeds of policies issued by certain insurance carriers that were not participating in the 2002 PPG Settlement Arrangement and from the estates of insolvent insurers and state insurance guaranty funds. |
| Under the proposed 2002 PPG Settlement Arrangement, PPG would have granted asbestos releases to all participating insurers, subject to a coverage-in-place agreement with certain insurers for the continuing coverage of premises claims (discussed below). PPG would have granted certain participating insurers full policy releases on primary policies and full product liability releases on excess coverage policies. PPG would have also granted certain other participating excess insurers credit against their product liability coverage limits. |
| If the second amended PC plan of reorganization incorporating the terms of the 2002 PPG Settlement Arrangement and the 2003 Corning Settlement Arrangement had been approved by the Bankruptcy Court, the Court would have entered a channeling injunction under §524(g) and other provisions of the Bankruptcy Code, prohibiting present and future claimants from asserting bodily injury claims after the Effective Date against PPG or its subsidiaries or PC relating to the manufacture, distribution or sale of asbestos-containing products by PC or PPG or its subsidiaries. The injunction would have also prohibited codefendants in those cases from asserting claims against PPG for contribution, indemnification or other recovery. All such claims would have been filed with the Trust and only paid from the assets of the Trust. |
| Modified Third Amended PC Plan of Reorganization |
| To address the issues raised by the Bankruptcy Court in its December 2006 ruling, the interested parties engaged in extensive negotiations regarding the terms of a third amended PC plan of reorganization, including modifications to the 2002 PPG Settlement Arrangement. A modified third amended PC plan of reorganization (the “third amended PC plan of reorganization”), including a modified PPG settlement arrangement (the “2009 PPG Settlement Arrangement”), was filed with the Bankruptcy Court on January 29, 2009. The parties also filed a disclosure statement describing the third amended PC plan of reorganization with the court. The third amended PC plan of reorganization also includes a modified settlement arrangement of Corning Incorporated. |
| Several creditors and other interested parties filed objections to the disclosure statement. Those objections were overruled by the Bankruptcy Court by order dated July 6, 2009 approving the disclosure statement. The third amended PC plan of reorganization and disclosure statement were then sent to creditors, including asbestos claimants, for voting. The report of the voting agent, filed on February 18, 2010, revealed that all voting classes, including asbestos claimants, voted overwhelmingly in favor of the third amended PC plan of reorganization, which included the 2009 PPG Settlement Arrangement. In light of the favorable vote on the third amended PC plan of reorganization, the Bankruptcy Court conducted a hearing regarding the fairness of the proposed plan, including whether (i) the plan would be fair with respect to present and future claimants, (ii) such claimants would be treated in substantially the same manner, and (iii) the protection provided to PPG and its participating insurers would be fair in view of the assets they would convey to the Trust to be established as part of the third amended PC plan of reorganization. The hearing was held in June of 2010. The remaining objecting parties (a number of objections were resolved through plan amendments and stipulations filed before the hearing) appeared at the hearing and presented their cases. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Bankruptcy Court established a briefing schedule for its consideration of confirmation of the plan and the objections to confirmation. That briefing was completed and final oral arguments held in October 2010. On June 16, 2011 the Bankruptcy Court issued a decision denying confirmation of the third amended PC plan of reorganization. |
|
| Following the June 16, 2011 ruling, the third amended PC plan of reorganization was the subject of negotiations among the parties in interest, amendments, proposed amendments and hearings. PC then filed an amended PC plan of reorganization on August 17, 2012. Objections to the plan, as amended, were filed by three entities. One set of objections was resolved by PC, and another set merely restated for appellate purposes objections filed by a party that the Bankruptcy Court previously overruled. The Bankruptcy Court heard oral argument on the one remaining set of objections filed by the remaining affiliated insurer objectors on October 10, 2012. At the conclusion of that argument, the Bankruptcy Court set forth a schedule for negotiating and filing language that would resolve some, but not all, of the objections to confirmation advanced by the insurer objectors. On October 25, 2012, PC filed a notice regarding proposed confirmation order language that resolved those specific objections. Following additional hearings and status conferences, technical amendments to the PC plan of reorganization were filed on May 15, 2013. On May 16, 2013, the Bankruptcy Court issued a memorandum opinion and interim order confirming the PC plan of reorganization, as amended, and setting forth a schedule for motions for reconsideration. Following the filing of motions for reconsideration, the Bankruptcy Court, on May 24, 2013, issued a revised memorandum opinion and final order confirming the modified third amended plan of reorganization and issuing the asbestos permanent channeling injunction. The remaining insurer objectors filed a motion for reconsideration on June 6, 2013. On November 12, 2013, the Bankruptcy Court issued an order granting in part (by clarifying the scope of the channeling injunction in accordance with the agreement of the parties as expressed at the time of final argument on the motion for reconsideration) and otherwise denying the motion for reconsideration. Notices of appeal to the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania were filed by the remaining objecting parties. On March 17, 2014, the appeal of the remaining non-insurer objecting party was dismissed voluntarily, leaving only two affiliated insurance companies as appellants. |
|
| On September 30, 2014, the District Court issued a memorandum opinion and order affirming the confirmation order. The remaining objectors could appeal the affirmance order to the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Notice of any appeal is due on or before October 30, 2014. The remaining objectors subsequently could seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court. |
| The 2009 PPG Settlement Arrangement will not become effective until certain conditions precedent are satisfied or waived and the amended PC plan of reorganization is finally approved by an appropriate court order that is no longer subject to appellate review, and PPG’s initial contributions will not be due until 30 business days thereafter (the “Funding Effective Date”). |
| Asbestos Claims Subject to Bankruptcy Court’s Channeling Injunction |
|
| The Bankruptcy Court's channeling injunction, entered under §524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code and which will become effective after the order confirming the modified third amended plan of reorganization is no longer subject to appellate review, will prohibit present and future claimants from asserting asbestos claims against PC. With regard to PPG, the channeling injunction by its terms will prohibit present and future claimants from asserting claims against PPG that arise, in whole or in part, out of exposure to Unibestos, or any other asbestos or asbestos-containing products manufactured, sold and/or distributed by PC, or asbestos on or emanating from any PC premises. The injunction by its terms will also prohibit codefendants in these cases that are subject to the channeling injunction from asserting claims against PPG for contribution, indemnification or other recovery. Such injunction will also preclude the prosecution of claims against PPG arising from alleged exposure to asbestos or asbestos-containing products to the extent that a claimant is alleging or seeking to impose liability, directly or indirectly, for the conduct of, claims against or demands on PC by reason of PPG’s: (i) ownership of a financial interest in PC; (ii) involvement in the management of PC, or service as an officer, director or employee of PC or a related party; (iii) provision of insurance to PC or a related party; or (iv) involvement in a financial transaction affecting the financial condition of PC or a related party. The foregoing PC related claims are referred to as “PC Relationship Claims” and constitute, in PPG management’s opinion, the vast majority of the pending asbestos personal injury claims against PPG. All claims channeled to the Trust will be paid only from the assets of the Trust. |
| Asbestos Claims Retained by PPG |
|
| The channeling injunction will not extend to any claim against PPG that arises out of exposure to any asbestos or asbestos-containing products manufactured, sold and/or distributed by PPG or its subsidiaries, or for which they are otherwise alleged to be liable, that is not a PC Relationship Claim, and in this respect differs from the channeling injunction contemplated by the second amended PC plan of reorganization filed in 2003. While management believes that the vast majority of the approximately 114,000 claims against PPG alleging personal injury from exposure to asbestos relate to products manufactured, distributed or sold by PC, the potential liability for any non-PC Relationship Claims will be retained by PPG. Because a determination of whether an asbestos claim is a non-PC Relationship Claim would typically not be known until shortly before trial and because the filing and prosecution of asbestos claims (other than certain premises claims) against PPG has been enjoined since April 2000, the actual number of non-PC Relationship Claims that may be pending at the expiration of the stay or the number of additional claims that may be filed against PPG in the future cannot be determined at this time. PPG intends to defend against all such claims vigorously and their ultimate resolution in the court system is expected to occur over a period of years. |
|
| In addition, similar to what was contemplated by the second amended PC plan of reorganization, the channeling injunction will not extend to claims against PPG alleging personal injury caused by asbestos on premises owned, leased or occupied by PPG (so called “premises claims”), which generally have been subject to the stay imposed by the Bankruptcy Court, although motions to lift the stay as to individual premises claims have been granted from time to time. Historically, a small proportion of the claims against PPG and its subsidiaries have been premises claims, and based upon review and analysis, PPG believes that the number of premises claims currently comprises less than 2% of the total asbestos related claims against PPG. Beginning in late 2006, the Bankruptcy Court lifted the stay with respect to certain premises claims against PPG. As a result, PPG and its primary insurers have settled approximately 580 premises claims. PPG’s insurers agreed to provide insurance coverage for a major portion of the payments made in connection with the settled claims, and PPG accrued the portion of the settlement amounts not covered by insurance. Primarily as a result of motions practice in the Bankruptcy Court with respect to the application of the stay to premises claims, PPG faces approximately 325 active premises claims. PPG is currently engaged in the process of settling or otherwise resolving approximately 80 of these claims. Of the remaining 245 active premises claims, approximately 125 such claims have been initiated in lawsuits filed in various state courts, primarily in Louisiana, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, and are the subjects of active litigation and are being defended by PPG. PPG believes that any financial exposure resulting from such premises claims, taking into account available insurance coverage, will not have a material adverse effect on PPG’s consolidated financial position, liquidity or results of operations. |
|
| PPG’s Funding Obligations |
| PPG has no obligation to pay any amounts under the third amended PC plan of reorganization, as amended, until the Funding Effective Date. On the Funding Effective Date, PPG will relinquish any claim to its equity interest in PC, convey the stock it owns in Pittsburgh Corning Europe and transfer 1,388,889 shares of PPG’s common stock or cash equal to the fair value of such shares as defined in the 2009 PPG Settlement Arrangement. PPG will make aggregate pre-tax cash payments to the Trust of approximately $825 million, payable according to a fixed payment schedule over a period ending in 2023. The first payment is due on the Funding Effective Date. PPG would have the right, in its sole discretion, to prepay these pre-tax cash payments to the Trust at any time at a discount rate of 5.5% per annum as of the prepayment date. PPG’s historical insurance carriers participating in the third amended PC plan of reorganization will also make cash payments to the Trust of approximately $1.7 billion between the Funding Effective Date and 2027. These payments could also be prepaid to the Trust at any time at a discount rate of 5.5% per annum as of the prepayment date. PPG will grant asbestos releases and indemnifications to all participating insurers, subject to amended coverage-in-place arrangements with certain insurers for remaining coverage of premises claims. PPG will grant certain participating insurers full policy releases on primary policies and full product liability releases on excess coverage policies. PPG will also grant certain other participating excess insurers credit against their product liability coverage limits. |
| PPG’s obligation under the 2009 PPG Settlement Arrangement at December 31, 2008 was $162 million less than the amount that would have been due under the 2002 PPG Settlement Arrangement. This reduction is attributable to a number of negotiated provisions in the 2009 PPG Settlement Arrangement, including the provisions relating to the channeling injunction under which PPG retains liability for any non-PC Relationship Claims. PPG will retain such amount as a reserve for asbestos-related claims that will not be channeled to the Trust, as this amount represents PPG’s best estimate of its liability for these claims. PPG does not have sufficient current claim information or settlement history on which to base a better estimate of this liability, in light of the fact that the Bankruptcy Court’s stay has been in effect since 2000. As a result, PPG’s reserve at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 for asbestos-related claims that will not be channeled to the Trust is $162 million. This amount is included within "Other liabilities" on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. In addition, under the 2009 PPG Settlement Arrangement, PPG will retain for its own account rights to recover proceeds from certain historical insurance assets, including policies issued by non-participating insurers. Rights to recover these proceeds would have been assigned to the Trust by PPG under the 2002 PPG Settlement Arrangement. |
| Following the effective date of the third amended PC plan of reorganization, as amended, and the lifting of the Bankruptcy Court stay, PPG will monitor the activity associated with asbestos claims which are not channeled to the Trust pursuant to the third amended PC plan of reorganization, and evaluate its estimated liability for such claims and related insurance assets then available to the Company as well as underlying assumptions on a periodic basis to determine whether any adjustment to its reserve for these claims is required. |
| Of the total obligation of $1,028 million under the 2009 PPG Settlement Arrangement at September 30, 2014, $773 million is reported as a current liability and $255 million is reported as a non-current liability in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet. The future accretion of the noncurrent portion of the liability will total $84 million and be reported as expense in the condensed consolidated statement of income over the period through 2023, as follows (in millions): |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Remainder of 2014 | $ | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2015 | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2016 – 2023 | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Total | $ | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| The following table summarizes the impact on PPG’s financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 resulting from the 2009 PPG Settlement Arrangement including the change in fair value of the stock to be transferred to the Trust and the equity forward instrument (see Note 13, “Financial Instruments, Hedging Activities and Fair Value Measurements”) and the increase in the net present value of the future payments to be made to the Trust. |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| ($ in millions) | Three Months | | Nine Months |
| Ended September 30 | Ended September 30 |
| Increase (decrease) in expense | 2014 | | 2013 | | 2014 | | 2013 |
| |
| Change in fair value: | | | | | | | |
| PPG stock | $ | (18 | ) | | $ | 29 | | | $ | 10 | | | $ | 45 | |
|
| Equity forward instrument | 18 | | | (29 | ) | | (11 | ) | | (46 | ) |
|
| Accretion of asbestos liability | 3 | | | 3 | | | 10 | | | 10 | |
|
| Asbestos settlement – net expense | $ | 3 | | | $ | 3 | | | $ | 9 | | | $ | 9 | |
|
| The fair value of the equity forward instrument is included as an "Other current asset" as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet. Payments under the fixed payment schedule require annual payments that are due each June. The current portion of the asbestos settlement liability included in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2014 consists of all such payments required through June 2015, the fair value of PPG’s common stock and the value of PPG’s investment in Pittsburgh Corning Europe. The net present value of the remaining payments due is included in the long-term asbestos settlement liability in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2014. |
| Enjoined Claims |
| If the 2009 PPG Settlement Arrangement is not implemented, for any reason, and the Bankruptcy Court stay expires, PPG intends to defend vigorously the pending and any future asbestos claims, including PC Relationship Claims, asserted against it and its subsidiaries. PPG continues to assert that it is not responsible for any injuries caused by PC products, which it believes account for the vast majority of the pending claims against PPG. Prior to 2000, PPG had never been found liable for any PC-related claims. In numerous cases, PPG was dismissed on motions prior to trial, and in others PPG was released as part of settlements by PC. PPG was found not responsible for PC-related claims at trial in two cases. In January 2000, one jury found PPG, for the first time, partly responsible for injuries to five plaintiffs alleged to be caused by PC products. The plaintiffs holding the judgment on that verdict moved to lift the injunction as applied to their claims. Before the hearing on that motion, PPG entered into a settlement with those claimants in the second quarter of 2010 to avoid the costs and risks associated with the possible lifting of the stay and appeal of the adverse 2000 verdict. The settlement resolved both the motion to lift the injunction and the judgment against PPG. The cost of this settlement was not significant to PPG’s results of operations for the second quarter of 2010 and was fully offset by prior insurance recoveries. Although PPG has successfully defended asbestos claims brought against it in the past, in view of the number of claims, and the significant verdicts that other companies have experienced in asbestos litigation, the result of any future litigation of such claims is inherently unpredictable. |
| Environmental Matters |
| It is PPG’s policy to accrue expenses for environmental contingencies when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Reserves for environmental contingencies are exclusive of claims against third parties and are generally not discounted. In management’s opinion, the Company operates in an environmentally sound manner and the outcome of the Company’s environmental contingencies will not have a material effect on PPG’s financial position or liquidity; however, any such outcome may be material to the results of operations of any particular period in which costs, if any, are recognized. Management anticipates that the resolution of the Company’s environmental contingencies will occur over an extended period of time. |
| As of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, PPG had reserves for environmental contingencies totaling $375 million and $337 million, respectively, of which $212 million and $133 million were classified as a current liability as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively. The reserve at September 30, 2014 included $270 million for environmental contingencies associated with PPG’s former chromium manufacturing plant in Jersey City, N.J. and associated sites (“New Jersey Chrome”) and $105 million for other environmental contingencies, including National Priority List sites and legacy glass and chemical manufacturing sites. The reserve at December 31, 2013 included $231 million for environmental contingencies associated with New Jersey Chrome and $106 million for other environmental contingencies, including National Priority List sites and legacy glass and chemical manufacturing sites. |
| Pre-tax charges against income for environmental remediation costs totaled $138 million and $143 million, respectively, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, and $92 million and $107 million, respectively, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, and are included in "Other charges" in the accompanying condensed consolidated statement of income. In addition to the environmental remediation charges in 2013 and 2014 for New Jersey Chrome discussed below, the nine months ended September 30, 2013 also included an environmental remediation charge of $12 million for remediation costs at a legacy chemical manufacturing site in Barberton, Ohio. Cash outlays related to all environmental remediation aggregated $31 million and $106 million, respectively, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, and $21 million and $72 million, respectively, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013. |
| Remediation: New Jersey Chrome |
| Since 1990, PPG has remediated 47 of 61 residential and nonresidential sites under the 1990 Administrative Consent Order (“ACO”) with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”). The most significant of the 14 remaining sites is the former chromium manufacturing location in Jersey City, New Jersey. The principal contaminant of concern is hexavalent chromium. |
| A settlement agreement among PPG, NJDEP and Jersey City (which had asserted claims against PPG for lost tax revenue) was reached in the form of a Judicial Consent Order (the “JCO”) that was entered by the court on June 26, 2009. PPG’s remedial obligations under the ACO with NJDEP have been incorporated into the JCO. Pursuant to the JCO, a new process has been established for the review of the technical reports PPG must submit for the investigation and remedy selection for the 14 ACO sites and for six sites for which PPG has accepted sole responsibility under the terms of an agreement with the NJDEP that was finalized in September 2011 (“The Orphan Sites Settlement”). The JCO also provided for the appointment of a court-approved Site Administrator who is responsible for establishing a master schedule for the remediation of the 20 PPG sites. Based upon current knowledge of the conditions at the sites and the experience gained over the last several years, the JCO parties established a new master schedule, which was approved by the court, and extended the goal for cleanup of soils and sources of contamination to December 1, 2015. Under the JCO, NJDEP could seek to impose stipulated civil penalties if PPG fails to complete soil and source remediation of JCO sites by the December 2015 goal or perform certain other tasks under the master schedule. |
| Over the past several years, activities have been undertaken and remedial alternatives were assessed which included, but were not limited to, soil excavation and offsite disposal in a licensed disposal facility, in situ chemical stabilization of soil and groundwater, and in situ solidification of soils. The submission of a final draft soil remedial action work plan for the former chromium manufacturing site and five adjacent sites was initially required to be submitted to NJDEP in May 2012. However, this submission has been delayed while PPG works with NJDEP and Jersey City to address issues related to PPG’s proposed approach to obtaining use limitations for the properties that will be remediated. Property owners must accept use limitations before NJDEP may approve a remedial action work plan. In the meantime, NJDEP has completed a review of the technical aspects of PPG's proposed soil remedial action work plan and has expressed its support of the remediation activities identified therein which PPG continues to perform while the issues related to use limitations for these properties are being addressed. During 2012, PPG completed remedial activities at three sites for which PPG has accepted sole responsibility under the terms of the Orphan Sites Settlement and has received "No Further Action" determination from the NJDEP for these sites. Subsequently, PPG has or is in the process of, completing remedial activities at seven sites with completion of field activities expected in the fourth quarter of 2014 or first quarter of 2015. Remedial activities for the remaining four sites have yet to be started. |
| The most significant assumptions underlying the cost estimates are those related to the extent and concentration of chromium impacts in the soil, as these determine the quantity of soil that must be treated in place, the quantity that will have to be excavated and transported for offsite disposal, and the nature of disposal required. The charges taken for the estimated cost to remediate the New Jersey Chrome sites are exclusive of any third party indemnification, as the recovery of any such amounts is uncertain. |
| During the third quarter of 2013, PPG completed an assessment of costs incurred to date versus current progress, and the potential cost impacts of recently acquired information, including but not limited to the extent of impacted soils, percentage of hazardous versus non-hazardous soils, daily soil excavation rates, and engineering, administrative and other associated costs. Based on this assessment, a reserve adjustment of $89 million was recorded in the third quarter of 2013. |
| During the third quarter of 2014, PPG completed an updated assessment of costs incurred to date versus current progress, and the potential cost impacts of recently acquired information, including the extent of impacted soils, percentage of hazardous versus non-hazardous soils, daily soil excavation rates, and engineering, administrative and other associated costs. Based on this assessment, a reserve adjustment of $136 million was recorded in the third quarter of 2014. Principal factors impacting costs included a refinement in the estimate of the mix of hazardous to non-hazardous soils to be excavated, an overall increase in soil volumes to be excavated, enhanced water management requirements, decreased daily soil excavation rates due to site conditions, initial estimates for remedial actions related to groundwater, and increased oversight and management costs. Based on our recently completed and ongoing investigations, approximately 1.3 million tons of soil may be potentially impacted for all New Jersey Chrome sites. |
| The liability for remediation of the New Jersey Chrome sites totals $270 million at September 30, 2014. The major cost components of this liability continue to be related to transportation and disposal of impacted soil as well as construction services. These components account for approximately 36% and 47% of the accrued amount, respectively, as of September 30, 2014. The accrued liability also includes estimated costs for water treatment, engineering and project management. |
| Although the majority of PPG’s remedial responsibilities for source removal and soil remediation will be satisfied by the December 1, 2015 deadline under the JCO, there will be remedial activity at other multi-party sites, such as, sewer sites and a refinery shared with other potentially responsible parties, that will continue beyond 2015. In addition, information will continue to be generated from the ongoing groundwater remedial investigation activities and will be incorporated into a final draft remedial action work plan for groundwater expected to be submitted to NJDEP in 2015. Groundwater remediation is expected to occur over several years after agency approval of the work plan. |
| As described above, there are multiple future events yet to occur, including further remedy selection and design, remedy implementation and execution, obtaining of required approvals from applicable governmental agencies or community organizations and submission of the final draft remedial action work plan for groundwater to be submitted to NJDEP in 2015. Considerable uncertainty exists regarding the timing of these future events for the New Jersey Chrome sites. Final resolution of these events is expected to occur over the next several years. As these events occur and to the extent that the cost estimates of the environmental remediation remedies change, the existing reserve for this environmental remediation will be adjusted. |
| Remediation: Other Sites |
| Certain remedial actions are also occurring at a legacy chemical manufacturing site in Barberton, Ohio, where PPG has completed a Facility Investigation and Corrective Measure Study (“CMS”) under USEPA’s Resource Conservation and Recycling Act (“RCRA”) Corrective Action Program. USEPA Region V transferred its oversight authority to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (“OEPA”) in 2010. PPG is responsible for filing engineering remedies for various issues at this site. PPG has been addressing impacts from a legacy plate glass manufacturing site in Kokomo, Indiana under the Voluntary Remediation Program of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. PPG is currently performing additional investigation activities at this location. |
| With respect to certain waste sites, the financial condition of any other potentially responsible parties also contributes to the uncertainty of estimating PPG’s final costs. Although contributors of waste to sites involving other potentially responsible parties may face governmental agency assertions of joint and several liability, in general, final allocations of costs are made based on the relative contributions of wastes to such sites. PPG is generally not a major contributor to such sites. |
| Separation and Merger of the Commodity Chemicals Business |
| As a result of the commodity chemicals business separation transaction, PPG has retained responsibility for potential environmental liabilities that may result from future Natural Resource Damage claims and any potential tort claims at the Calcasieu River Estuary associated with activities and historical operations of the Lake Charles, La. facility. PPG will additionally retain responsibility for all liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from sediment contamination in the Ohio River resulting from historical activities and operations at the Natrium, W.Va. facility, exclusive of remedial activities, if any, required to be performed on-site at the Natrium facility. PPG's obligations with respect to Ohio River sediment will terminate on December 30, 2017 unless within five years from December 30, 2012 PPG is required to further assess or to remediate sediment contamination caused by PPG's operation of the Natrium facility prior to the separation of the commodity chemicals business from PPG in which event PPG's obligations with respect to sediment in the Ohio River will continue for five years beyond the time that PPG is required to further assess or remediate sediment in the Ohio River. |
| Remediation: Reasonably Possible Matters |
| In addition to the amounts currently reserved for environmental remediation, the Company may be subject to loss contingencies related to environmental matters estimated to be as much as $75 million to $200 million. Such unreserved losses are reasonably possible but are not currently considered to be probable of occurrence. These reasonably possible unreserved losses relate to environmental matters at a number of sites. The loss contingencies related to these sites include significant unresolved issues such as the nature and extent of contamination at these sites and the methods that may have to be employed to remediate them. |
| The impact of evolving programs, such as natural resource damage claims, industrial site re-use initiatives and state remediation programs, also adds to the present uncertainties with regard to the ultimate resolution of this unreserved exposure to future loss. The Company’s assessment of the potential impact of these environmental contingencies is subject to considerable uncertainty due to the complex, ongoing and evolving process of investigation and remediation, if necessary, of such environmental contingencies, and the potential for technological and regulatory developments. |
| Other Matters |
| The Company accrues for product warranties at the time the products are sold based on historical claims experience. As of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the reserve for product warranties were $11 million and $10 million, respectively. Pretax charges against income for product warranties and the related cash outlays were not material for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013. |
| The Company had outstanding letters of credit and surety bonds of $117 million and guarantees of $50 million as of September 30, 2014. The Company does not believe any loss related to such guarantees is likely. |
