The provisions of this Subtopic apply to all entities. This Subtopic provides guidance on accounting for environmental remediation liabilities and is written in the context of operations taking place in the United States; however, the accounting guidance is applicable to all the operations of the reporting entity.
The recognition and measurement guidance in this Subtopic should be applied on a site-by-site basis.
The guidance in this Subtopic does not apply to the following transactions and activities:
- a
Environmental contamination incurred in the normal operation of a long-lived asset (see Subtopic 410-20 for guidance that will apply if the entity is legally obligated to treat the contamination). Paragraph 410-20-15-3(b) explains that the obligation to clean up the spillage resulting from the normal operation of the fuel storage facility is within the scope of Subtopic 410-20. Additionally, that Subtopic applies if a legal obligation to treat environmental contamination is incurred or assumed as a result of the acquisition, construction, or development of a long-lived asset. - b
Pollution control costs with respect to current operations or on accounting for costs of future site restoration or closure that are required upon the cessation of operations or sale of facilities, as such current and future costs and obligations represent a class of accounting issues different from environmental remediation liabilities. - c
Environmental remediation actions that are undertaken at the sole discretion of management and that are not induced by the threat, by governments or other parties, of litigation or of assertion of a claim or an assessment.
- d
Recognizing liabilities of insurance entities for unpaid claims.
- e
Natural resource damages and toxic torts (see paragraphs ). - f
Asset impairment issues.