DowDuPont Inc. provides chemical, plastic, and agricultural products and services to various consumer markets. The following excerpt
Question:
DowDuPont Inc. provides chemical, plastic, and agricultural products and services to various consumer markets. The following excerpt is taken from the disclosure notes of DowDuPont’s 2017 annual report:
At December 31, 2017, the Company had accrued obligations of $1,311 million for probable environmental remediation and restoration costs, including $219 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 the Company has accrued liabilities, although it is reasonably possible that the ultimate cost with respect to these particular matters could range up to approximately two times that amount.
Required:
1. Does the excerpt describe a loss contingency?
2. Under what conditions would DowDuPont accrue such a contingency?
3. What journal entry would DowDuPont use to record this amount of provision (loss)?
Step by Step Answer:
Intermediate Accounting
ISBN: 978-1260481952
10th edition
Authors: J. David Spiceland, James Sepe, Mark Nelson, Wayne Thomas