SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-Q

 

 

 

Commission file number 1-12154

 

Waste Management, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

1001 Fannin

Suite 4000

Houston, Texas 77002

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(713) 512-6200

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes þ     No o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer þ      Accelerated filer o     Non-accelerated filer o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes o     No þ

 

The number of shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value, of the registrant outstanding at October 23, 2006 was 535,012,925 (excluding treasury shares of 95,269,536).

 

 

PART I.

 

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In Millions, Except Share and Par Value Amounts)

 

 

See notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

(In Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

 

See notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

(In Millions)

(Unaudited)

 

 

See notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(In Millions, Except Shares in Thousands)
(Unaudited)

 

 

See notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

 

 

The financial statements presented in this report represent the consolidation of Waste Management, Inc., a Delaware corporation, our wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries and certain variable interest entities for which we have determined that we are the primary beneficiary. Waste Management, Inc. is a holding company and all operations are conducted by subsidiaries. When the terms “the Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” are used in this document, those terms refer to Waste Management, Inc., its consolidated subsidiaries and consolidated variable interest entities. When we use the term “WMI,” we are referring only to the parent holding company.

 

WMI was incorporated in Oklahoma in 1987 under the name “USA Waste Services, Inc.” and was reincorporated as a Delaware company in 1995. In a 1998 merger, the Illinois-based waste services company formerly known as Waste Management, Inc. became a wholly-owned subsidiary of WMI and changed its name to Waste Management Holdings, Inc. (“WM Holdings”). At the same time, our parent holding company changed its name from USA Waste Services to Waste Management, Inc. Like WMI, WM Holdings is a holding company and all operations are conducted by subsidiaries. For more detail on the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of WMI, WM Holdings and their subsidiaries, see Note 13.

 

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements as of September 30, 2006 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005 are unaudited. In the opinion of management, these financial statements include all adjustments, which, unless otherwise disclosed, are of a normal recurring nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods presented. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year. The financial statements presented herein should be read in connection with the financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005.

 

In preparing our financial statements, we make numerous estimates and assumptions that affect the accounting for and recognition of assets, liabilities, stockholders’ equity, revenues and expenses. We must make these estimates and assumptions because certain information that we use is dependent on future events, cannot be calculated with a high degree of precision from data available, or simply cannot be readily calculated based on generally accepted methodologies. In some cases, these estimates are particularly difficult to determine and we must exercise significant judgment. Actual results could differ materially from the estimates and assumptions that we use in the preparation of our financial statements.

 

Accounting Change — On January 1, 2006, we adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123 (revised 2004), Share Based Payment (“SFAS No. 123(R)”), which requires compensation expense to be recognized for all share-based payments made to employees based on the fair value of the award at the date of grant. We adopted SFAS No. 123(R) using the modified prospective method, which results in (i) the recognition of compensation expense using the provisions of SFAS No. 123(R) for all share-based awards granted or modified after December 31, 2005 and (ii) the recognition of compensation expense using the provisions of SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation (“SFAS No. 123”) for all unvested awards outstanding at the date of adoption. Under this transition method, the results of operations of prior periods have not been restated. Accordingly, we will continue to provide pro forma financial information for periods prior to January 1, 2006 to illustrate the effect on net income and earnings per share of applying the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123.

 

Through December 31, 2005, as permitted by SFAS No. 123, we accounted for equity-based compensation in accordance with Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, as amended (“APB No. 25”). Under APB No. 25, we recognized compensation expense based on an award’s intrinsic value. For stock options, which were the primary form of equity-based awards we granted through December 31, 2004, this meant that we recognized no compensation expense in connection with the grants, as the exercise price of the options was equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant and all

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

the entity’s debt obligations. In 2003, we determined that our guarantee created a significant variable interest in a variable interest entity, and that we were the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity under the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Interpretation No. 46, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities (“FIN 46”). Accordingly, from the third quarter of 2003 until April 2006, this variable interest entity was consolidated into our financial statements.

 

During 2006, the debt of this entity was refinanced. As a result of the refinancing, our guarantee arrangement was also renegotiated, reducing the value of our guarantee to approximately $5 million as of September 30, 2006. We determined that the refinancing of the entity’s debt obligations and corresponding renegotiation of our guarantee represented significant changes in the entity that required reconsideration of the applicability of FIN 46. As a result of the reconsideration of our interest in this variable interest entity, we concluded that we are no longer the primary beneficiary of this entity. Accordingly, in April 2006, we deconsolidated the surety bonding company. The deconsolidation of this entity did not materially impact our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the periods presented.

 

 

Accounting Policies

 

Final Capping, Closure and Post-Closure Costs — Following is a description of our asset retirement activities and our related accounting:

 

 

We develop our estimates of these obligations using input from our operations personnel, engineers and accountants. Our estimates are based on our interpretation of current requirements as well as proposed regulatory changes and are intended to approximate fair value under the provisions of SFAS No. 143, Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations (“SFAS No. 143”). Absent quoted market prices, the estimate of fair value should be based on the best available information, including the results of present value techniques. In many cases, we contract with third parties to fulfill our obligations for final capping, closure and post-closure. We use historical experience, professional engineering judgment and quoted and actual prices paid for similar work to determine the fair value of these obligations. We are required to recognize these obligations at market prices whether we plan to contract with third parties or perform the work ourselves. In those instances where we perform the work with internal resources,

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

the incremental profit margin realized is recognized as a component of operating income when the work is performed.

 

Additionally, an estimate of fair value should also include the price that marketplace participants are able to receive for bearing the uncertainties inherent in these cash flows. However, when using discounted cash flow techniques, reliable estimates of market premiums may not be obtainable. In the waste industry, there is generally not a market for selling the responsibility for final capping, closure and post-closure obligations independent of selling the landfill in its entirety. Accordingly, we do not believe that it is possible to develop a methodology to reliably estimate a market risk premium. We have excluded any such market risk premium from our determination of expected cash flows for landfill asset retirement obligations.

 

Once we have determined the final capping, closure and post-closure costs, we inflate those costs to the expected time of payment and discount those expected future costs back to present value. We have inflated these costs in current dollars until the expected time of payment using an annual inflation rate of 2.5%. We discount these costs to present value using the credit-adjusted, risk-free rate effective at the time an obligation is incurred consistent with the expected cash flow approach. Any changes in expectations that result in an upward revision to the estimated cash flows are treated as a new liability and discounted at the current rate while downward revisions are discounted at the historical weighted-average rate of the recorded obligation. As a result, the credit-adjusted, risk-free discount rate used to calculate the present value of an obligation is specific to each individual asset retirement obligation. The weighted-average annual rate applicable to our asset retirement obligations is between 6.00% and 7.25%, the range of the credit-adjusted, risk-free discount rates effective since adopting SFAS No. 143 in 2003.

 

We record the estimated fair value of final capping, closure and post-closure liabilities for our landfills based on the capacity consumed through the current period. The fair value of final capping obligations is developed based on our estimates of the airspace consumed to date for each final capping event and the expected timing of each final capping event. The fair value of closure and post-closure obligations is developed based on our estimates of the airspace consumed to date for the entire landfill and the expected timing of each closure and post-closure activity. Because these obligations are measured at estimated fair value using present value techniques, changes in the estimated cost or timing of future final capping, closure and post-closure activities could result in a material change in these liabilities, related assets and results of operations. We assess the appropriateness of the estimates used to develop our recorded balances annually, or more often if significant facts change.

 

Changes in inflation rates or the estimated costs, timing or extent of future final capping and closure and post-closure activities typically result in both (i) a current adjustment to the recorded liability and landfill asset; and (ii) a change in liability and asset amounts to be recorded prospectively over the remaining capacity of either the related discrete final capping event or the landfill. Any changes related to the capitalized and future cost of the landfill assets are then recognized in accordance with our amortization policy, which would generally result in amortization expense being recognized prospectively over the remaining capacity of the final capping event or the landfill, as appropriate. Changes in such estimates associated with airspace that has been fully utilized result in an adjustment to the recorded liability and landfill assets with an immediate corresponding adjustment to landfill airspace amortization expense.

 

Interest accretion on final capping, closure and post-closure liabilities is recorded using the effective interest method and is recorded as final capping, closure and post-closure expense, which is included in “Operating” costs and expenses within our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

 

In the United States, the final capping, closure and post-closure requirements are established by the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and applied on a state-by-state basis. The costs to comply with these requirements could change materially as a result of future legislation or regulation.

 

Environmental Remediation — We are subject to an array of laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment. Under current laws and regulations, we may have liabilities for environmental damage caused by

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

operations or for damage caused by conditions that existed before we acquired a site. Such liabilities include potentially responsible party (“PRP”) investigations, settlements, certain legal and consultant fees, as well as costs directly associated with site investigation and clean up, such as materials and incremental internal costs directly related to the remedy. We provide for expenses associated with environmental remediation obligations when such amounts are probable and can be reasonably estimated. We routinely review and evaluate sites that require remediation and determine our estimated cost for the likely remedy based on several estimates and assumptions.

 

Our estimations are based on several factors. We estimate costs required to remediate sites where it is probable that a liability has been incurred based on site-specific facts and circumstances. We routinely review and evaluate sites that require remediation, considering whether we were an owner, operator, transporter, or generator at the site; the amount and type of waste hauled to the site; and the number of years we were associated with the site. Next, we review the same type of information with respect to other named and unnamed PRPs. Estimates of the cost for the likely remedy are then either developed using our internal resources or by third party environmental engineers or other service providers. Internally developed estimates are based on:

 

 

There can sometimes be a range of reasonable estimates of the costs associated with the likely remedy of a site. In these cases, we use the amount within the range that constitutes our best estimate. If no amount within the range appears to be a better estimate than any other, we use the amount that is the low end of the range in accordance with SFAS No. 5, Accounting for Contingencies, and its interpretations. If we used the high ends of such ranges, our aggregate potential liability would be approximately $185 million higher on a discounted basis than the $275 million recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements as of September 30, 2006.

 

Estimating our degree of responsibility for remediation of a particular site is inherently difficult and determining the method and ultimate cost of remediation requires that a number of assumptions be made. Our ultimate responsibility may differ materially from current estimates. It is possible that technological, regulatory or enforcement developments, the results of environmental studies, the inability to identify other PRPs, the inability of other PRPs to contribute to the settlements of such liabilities, or other factors could require us to record additional liabilities that could be material. Additionally, our ongoing review of our remediation liabilities could result in revisions that could cause upward or downward adjustments to income from operations. These adjustments could also be material in any given period.

 

Where we believe that both the amount of a particular environmental remediation liability and the timing of the payments are reliably determinable, we inflate the cost in current dollars (by 2.5% per annum at September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005) until the expected time of payment and then discount the cost to present value using a risk-free discount rate, which is based on the rate for United States Treasury bonds with a term approximating the weighted average period until settlement of the underlying obligation. We determine the risk-free discount rate and the inflation rate on an annual basis unless interim changes would significantly impact our results of operations. As a result of an increase in our risk-free discount rate, which increased from an annual rate of 4.25% for 2005 to an annual rate of 4.75% for 2006, we recorded a $6 million reduction in “Operating” expenses during the first quarter of 2006 and a corresponding decrease in environmental remediation liabilities. For remedial liabilities that have been discounted, we include interest accretion, based on the effective interest method, in “Operating” costs and expenses in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

Landfill and Environmental Remediation Liabilities

 

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

 

 

The changes to landfill and environmental remediation liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2005 and the nine months ended September 30, 2006 are reflected in the table below (in millions):

 

 

At several of our landfills, we provide financial assurance by depositing cash into restricted escrow accounts or trust funds for purposes of settling closure, post-closure and environmental remediation obligations. The fair value of these escrow accounts and trust funds was $214 million at September 30, 2006, and is primarily included as long-term “Other assets” in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Balances maintained in these trust funds and escrow accounts will fluctuate based on (i) changes in statutory requirements; (ii) the ongoing use of funds for qualifying closure, post-closure and environmental remediation activities; (iii) acquisitions or divestitures of landfills; and (iv) changes in the fair value of the financial instruments held in the trust fund or escrow account.

 

 

The primary components of current “Other assets” as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005 were as follows:

 

Short-term investments available for use — We invest in auction rate securities and variable rate demand notes, which are debt instruments with long-term scheduled maturities and periodic interest rate reset dates. The interest rate reset mechanism for these instruments results in a periodic marketing of the underlying securities through an auction process. Due to the liquidity provided by the interest rate reset mechanism and the short-term nature of our investment in these securities, they have been classified as current assets in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, $332 million and $300 million,

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

respectively, of investments in auction rates securities and variable rate demand notes have been included as a component of current “Other assets.”

 

Assets held for sale — As of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005 our current “Other assets” included $261 million and $124 million, respectively, of operations and properties held for sale. These balances are primarily attributable to our divestiture program, which was approved by our Board of Directors to divest under-performing and non-strategic operations. In July 2005, operations representing $400 million in annual revenues were identified for inclusion in the divestiture program. In January 2006, we identified additional operations, representing over $500 million in annual revenues, that may also be sold as part of this divestiture plan. As of September 30, 2006 we have either sold or are actively marketing the majority of these operations. However, as of September 30, 2006, many of these businesses did not meet the accounting guidelines necessary to account for them as held-for-sale for financial reporting purposes.

 

Held-for-sale assets are recorded at the lower of their carrying amount or their fair value less the estimated cost to sell. Our quarterly assessment of these operations includes an analysis to determine if they qualify for discontinued operations accounting. Discontinued operations were not material to our results of operations or cash flows for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2006 and 2005. Generally, we do not expect discontinued operations to be material to our results of operations or cash flows due to the current integration and anticipated continuing involvement of these businesses with our remaining operations.

 

 

Debt

 

The following table summarizes the major components of debt at each balance sheet date (in millions):

 

 

 

 

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debt Covenants

 

Our revolving credit facility and certain other financing agreements contain financial covenants. The most restrictive of these financial covenants are contained in our revolving credit facility. The following table summarizes the requirements of these financial covenants and the results of the calculation, as defined by the revolving credit facility:

 

 

Our revolving credit facility and senior notes also contain certain restrictions intended to monitor our level of indebtedness, types of investments and net worth. We monitor our compliance with these restrictions, but do not believe that they significantly impact our ability to enter into investing or financing arrangements typical for our business. As of September 30, 2006, we were in compliance with the covenants and restrictions under all of our debt agreements.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

The current tax obligations associated with the provision for income taxes recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations are reflected in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of “Accrued liabilities,” and the deferred tax obligations are reflected in “Deferred income taxes.”

 

The difference between federal income taxes computed at the federal statutory rate and reported income taxes for the three months ended September 30, 2006 is primarily due to (i) the favorable impact of non-conventional fuel tax credits; (ii) the finalization of our 2005 tax returns; and (iii) favorable tax audit settlements, which were offset in part by (i) state and local income taxes; and (ii) the impact of nondeductible goodwill associated with our divestitures. These items have also affected our reported income taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 2006, which have also been favorably affected by the realization of a tax benefit due to scheduled tax rate reductions in Canada and the resulting revaluation of related deferred tax balances. The difference between federal income taxes computed at the federal statutory rate and reported income taxes for the three months ended September 30, 2005 is primarily due to (i) favorable effects of tax audit settlements; (ii) the favorable impact of non-conventional fuel tax credits; and (iii) the finalization of our 2004 federal tax return offset in part by state and local income taxes. These items also impact the difference between federal income taxes computed at the federal statutory rate and reported income taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 as did the second quarter impact of our planned repatriation of accumulated earnings from certain of our Canadian subsidiaries. We continue to evaluate our effective tax rate and adjust it accordingly as facts and circumstances warrant.

 

Tax audit settlements — When excluding the effect of interest income, the settlement of various federal and state tax audit matters resulted in a reduction in income tax expense of $7 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, for the three months ended September 30, 2006 and $141 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2006. These tax audit settlements resulted in a 1.6 percentage point reduction in our effective tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2006 and a 12.3 percentage point reduction in our effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2006. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006, our net income also increased, principally due to interest income, by $7 million, or $4 million net of tax, and $12 million, or $7 million net of tax, respectively, as a result of these settlements.

 

The settlement of several tax audits resulted in a reduction in income tax expense of $28 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, for the three months ended September 30, 2005 and $375 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2005. These tax audit settlements resulted in a 12.5 percentage point reduction in our effective tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2005 and a 49.9 percentage point reduction in our effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2005.

 

The reduction in income taxes recognized as a result of these tax audit settlements is primarily attributable to the associated reduction in our accrued tax and related accrued interest liabilities. For information regarding the status of current audit activity refer to Note 9.

 

Non-conventional fuel tax credits — The impact of non-conventional fuel tax credits has been derived from methane gas projects at our landfills and our investments in two coal-based, synthetic fuel production facilities (the “Facilities”), which are discussed in more detail below. The fuel generated from our landfills and the Facilities qualifies for tax credits through 2007 pursuant to Section 45K (formerly Section 29, but re-designated as Section 45K effective for years ending after December 31, 2005) of the Internal Revenue Code. These tax credits are phased-out if the price of crude oil exceeds an annual average price threshold determined by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

 

Our effective tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2006 reflects (i) our current expectations for the phase-out of 35% of Section 45K tax credits generated during 2006 and (ii) the impact of the temporary suspension of operations at the Facilities, which occurred from May 2006 to late September 2006. When considering these items, our estimated recurring effective tax rate as of September 30, 2006 is 36.0%, a 3.3 percentage point decrease in our estimated effective tax rate from June 30, 2006. Applying this decrease to

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

our year-to-date pre-tax earnings resulted in a reduction in our provision for income taxes and an increase in our net income of approximately $38 million for the three months ended September 30, 2006. Revisions to our estimated recurring effective tax rate, from 37.1% at March 31, 2006 to 39.3% at June 30, 2006, had an unfavorable impact on our second quarter 2006 Statement of Operations, increasing our provision for income taxes and reducing our net income by $16 million. The change in our estimate of the phase-out of Section 45K credits from 78% at June 30, 2006 to 35% at September 30, 2006 also had a significant impact on our recognition of losses attributable to the operations of the Facilities during the third quarter of 2006. This impact is discussed below.

 

We have developed our current expectations for the phase-out of 35% of Section 45K credits using market information for current and forward-looking crude oil prices as of September 30, 2006. Increases in market prices of crude oil could further reduce the tax benefits we ultimately realize in 2006 from both our landfills and the Facilities. Accordingly, our current estimated effective tax rate could be materially different than our actual 2006 effective tax rate if our expectations for crude oil prices for the year are inconsistent with actual results.

 

In 2004, we acquired minority ownership interests in the Facilities, which results in the recognition of our pro-rata share of the Facilities’ losses, the amortization of our investments, and additional expense associated with other estimated obligations all being recorded as “Equity in net losses of unconsolidated entities” within our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. We recognize these losses in the period in which the tax credits are generated; however, we recognize the associated tax credits ratably over the entire year. As discussed above, our effective tax rate and equity losses associated with our investments in these unconsolidated entities for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 include the effects of a partial phase-out of Section 45K credits generated during 2006. Although we currently project that we will not be able to recognize 35% of the tax credits generated during 2006, we have been required to fund 100% of our pro-rata portion of the Facilities’ losses and production costs for 2006 operations. Amounts paid to the Facilities for which we do not ultimately realize a tax benefit are refundable to us, subject to certain limitations. Our 2006 effective tax rate and equity losses also reflect the impacts of the temporary suspension of operations at the Facilities, which occurred from May 2006 to late September 2006. The operation of the Facilities had been suspended in order to minimize operating losses as a result of the expected phase-out of tax credits generated during 2006. For quarterly periods that the Facilities’ operations are suspended, our obligations associated with funding the entities’ operations may be deferred for a period of up to four quarters. Due to the relatively low production during the third quarter of 2006, certain of our obligations for the period were deferred to the fourth quarter when the Facilities are expected to operate at or near their capacity.

 

The following table summarizes the impact of our investments in the Facilities on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005 (in millions):

 

 

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

The components of accumulated other comprehensive income were as follows (in millions):

 

 

 

The following reconciles the number of shares outstanding at September 30 of each year shown to the number of weighted average basic shares outstanding and the number of weighted average diluted shares outstanding for the purpose of calculating basic and diluted earnings per share. The table also provides the number of shares of common stock potentially issuable at the end of each period and the number of potentially issuable shares excluded from the diluted earnings per share computation for each period (shares in millions):

 

 

 

Stock-Based Compensation

 

Since May 2004, all stock-based compensation awards described herein have been made under the Company’s 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, which authorizes the issuance of a maximum of 34 million shares of our common stock. Upon the adoption by the Management Development and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors and the approval by the stockholders of the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan at the 2004 Annual Meeting of stockholders, all of the Company’s other stock-based incentive plans were terminated, with the exception of the 2000 Broad-Based Employee Plan. The Broad-Based Employee Plan was not required to be approved by stockholders, as no executive officers of the Company may receive any grants under the plan. However, only approximately 100,000 shares remain available for issuance under that plan. We currently utilize treasury shares to meet the needs of our equity-based compensation programs under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan and to settle outstanding awards granted pursuant to previous incentive plans. During 2005 and 2006, the primary forms of equity-based compensation granted to our employees under our long-term incentive programs were restricted stock units and performance share units. The significant terms of awards granted during 2006 are summarized below.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

Restricted stock units — During the nine months ended September 30, 2006, we granted approximately 751,000 restricted stock units. These restricted stock units provide the award recipients with dividend equivalents during the vesting period, but the units may not be voted or sold until time-based vesting restrictions have lapsed. The restricted stock units vest ratably over a four-year period, and unvested units are subject to forfeiture in the event of voluntary or for-cause termination. These restricted stock units are subject to pro-rata vesting upon an employee’s retirement or involuntary termination other than for cause and become immediately vested in the event of an employee’s death or disability.

 

Compensation expense associated with restricted stock units is measured based on the grant-date fair value of our common stock and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the required employment period, which is generally the vesting period. Compensation expense is only recognized for those awards that we expect to vest, which we estimate based upon an assessment of current period and historical forfeitures.

 

A summary of the status of our restricted stock units as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 is presented in the table below (units in thousands):

 

 

 

Performance share units — During the nine months ended September 30, 2006, we granted approximately 724,000 performance share units. The performance share units are payable in shares of common stock based on the achievement of certain financial measures, after the end of a three-year performance period. Performance share units do not provide award recipients with either dividend equivalents or voting rights during the required performance period. These performance share units are payable to an employee (or his beneficiary) upon death or disability as if that employee had remained employed until the end of the performance period, subject to pro-rata vesting upon an employee’s retirement or involuntary termination other than for cause and subject to forfeiture in the event of voluntary or for-cause termination.

 

Compensation expense associated with performance share units that continue to vest based on future performance is measured based on the grant-date fair value of our common stock, net of the present value of expected dividend payments on our common stock during the vesting period. Compensation expense is recognized ratably over the performance period based on our estimated achievement of the established performance criteria. Compensation expense is only recognized for those awards that we expect to vest, which we estimate based upon an assessment of both the probability that the performance criteria will be achieved and current period and historical

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

forfeitures. A summary of the status of our performance share units as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 is presented in the table below (units in thousands):

 

 

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006, we recognized $6 million and $15 million, respectively, of compensation expense associated with restricted stock unit and performance share unit awards as a component of “Selling, general and administrative” expenses in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. Our “Provision for (benefit from) income taxes” for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 includes a corresponding deferred income tax benefit of $2 million and $6 million, respectively. We have not capitalized any equity-based compensation costs during the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2006. As of September 30, 2006, we estimate that a total of approximately $50 million of currently unrecognized compensation expense will be recognized in future periods for unvested restricted stock unit and performance share unit awards issued and outstanding. This expense is expected to be recognized over a period of up to four years.

 

Stock options — Prior to 2005, stock options were the primary form of equity-based compensation we granted to our employees. On December 16, 2005, the Management Development and Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors approved the acceleration of the vesting of all unvested stock options awarded under our stock incentive plans effective December 28, 2005. The decision to accelerate the vesting of outstanding stock options was made primarily to reduce the future non-cash compensation expense that we would have otherwise recorded as a result of our January 1, 2006 adoption of SFAS No. 123(R). We estimate that the acceleration eliminated approximately $55 million of pre-tax compensation charges that would have been recognized over 2006, 2007 and 2008 as the stock options vested. We recognized a $2 million pre-tax charge to compensation expense during the fourth quarter of 2005 as a result of the acceleration, but will not be required to recognize future compensation expense for the accelerated options under SFAS No. 123(R) unless further modifications are made to the options, which is not anticipated.

 

A summary of the status of our stock options as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 is presented in the table below (shares in thousands):

 

 

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NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

 

 

We received $219 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2006 from our employees’ stock option exercises. We realized a tax benefit from these stock option exercises of $33 million. These amounts have been presented in the “Cash flows from financing activities” section of our September 30, 2006 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.

 

Common Stock Dividends and Repurchases

 

In October 2004, our Board of Directors approved a capital allocation program that provides for up to $1.2 billion in aggregate dividend payments and share repurchases each year during 2005, 2006 and 2007. In June 2006, our Board of Directors approved up to $350 million of additional share repurchases for 2006, increasing the maximum amount of capital to be allocated to our share repurchases and dividends for the current year to $1.55 billion. Aggregate dividend payments and share repurchases under the capital allocation program were $418 million and $1,297 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006, respectively. Aggregate dividend payments and share repurchases under our capital allocation program were $404 million and $922 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2005, respectively.

 

Common Stock Dividends — We have paid a $0.22 per share dividend in each of the first three quarters of 2006. The third quarter dividend was declared in August 2006 and paid on September 22, 2006 to shareholders of record as of September 5, 2006 for an aggregate of $118 million. We have paid $358 million in cash dividends during the nine months ended September 30, 2006. In each quarter of 2005, we declared and paid a dividend of $0.20 per share, which resulted in aggregate cash payments of $111 million for the three months ended September 30, 2005 and $339 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005. All future dividend declarations are at the discretion of the Board of Directors, and depend on various factors, including our net earnings, financial condition, cash required for future prospects and other factors the Board may deem relevant.

 

Common Stock Repurchases — In January 2006, we repurchased 9.0 million shares of our common stock for $275 million through an accelerated share repurchase transaction. The number of shares purchased under the accelerated share repurchase transaction was determined by dividing the $275 million by the fair market value of our common stock on the repurchase date. At the end of the transaction’s valuation period, which was in February 2006, we were required to make a settlement payment for the difference between the $275 million paid at the inception of the valuation period and the weighted average daily market price of our common stock during the valuation period times the number of shares we repurchased, or $16 million. We elected to make the required settlement payment in cash.

 

During the nine months ended September 30, 2006, we also repurchased 18.4 million shares of our common stock through either open market or other privately negotiated transactions at a cost of $648 million, of which $5 million was settled in October 2006. During the nine months ended September 30, 2005, we repurchased 20.5 million shares of our common stock at a cost of $583 million, of which $10 million was settled in October 2005. Future share repurchases under our capital allocation program will be made at the discretion of management.

 

 

Financial instruments — We have obtained letters of credit, performance bonds and insurance policies and have established trust funds and issued financial guarantees to support tax-exempt bonds, contracts, performance of landfill closure and post-closure requirements, environmental remediation and other obligations.

 

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NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

Historically, our revolving credit facilities have been used to obtain letters of credit to support our bonding and financial assurance needs. We also have letter of credit and term loan agreements and a letter of credit facility that were established to provide us with additional sources of capacity from which we may obtain letters of credit. We obtain surety bonds and insurance policies from various sources, which include an affiliated entity that we have an investment in and account for under the cost method. We also obtain insurance from a wholly-owned insurance company, the sole business of which is to issue policies for WMI and its subsidiaries, to secure such performance obligations. In those instances where our use of captive insurance is not allowed, we generally have available alternative bonding mechanisms.

 

Because virtually no claims have been made against the financial instruments we use to support our obligations, and considering our current financial position, management does not expect that any claims against or draws on these instruments would have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements. We have not experienced any unmanageable difficulty in obtaining the required financial assurance instruments for our current operations. In an ongoing effort to mitigate risks of future cost increases and reductions in available capacity, we continue to evaluate various options to access cost-effective sources of financial assurance.

 

Insurance — We carry insurance coverage for protection of our assets and operations from certain risks including automobile liability, general liability, real and personal property, workers’ compensation, directors’ and officers’ liability, pollution legal liability and other coverages we believe are customary to the industry. Our exposure to loss for insurance claims is generally limited to the per incident deductible under the related insurance policy. Our exposure, however, could increase if our insurers were unable to meet their commitments on a timely basis.

 

We have retained a significant portion of the risks related to our automobile, general liability and workers’ compensation insurance programs. For our self-insured retentions, the exposure for unpaid claims and associated expenses, including incurred but not reported losses, is based on an actuarial valuation and internal estimates. The estimated accruals for these liabilities could be affected if future occurrences or loss development significantly differ from utilized assumptions.

 

For the 14 months ended January 1, 2000, we insured certain risks, including auto, general liability and workers’ compensation, with Reliance National Insurance Company, whose parent filed for bankruptcy in June 2001. In October 2001, the parent and certain of its subsidiaries, including Reliance National Insurance Company, were placed in liquidation. We believe that because of various state insurance guarantee funds and probable recoveries from the liquidation, currently estimated to be $19 million, it is unlikely that events relating to Reliance will have a material adverse impact on our financial statements.

 

We do not expect the impact of any known casualty, property, environmental or other contingency to have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Guarantees — We have entered into the following guarantee agreements associated with our operations:

 

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

 

We currently believe that it is not reasonably likely that we will be required to perform under these guarantee agreements or that any performance requirement would have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

 

Environmental matters — Our business is intrinsically connected with the protection of the environment. As such, a significant portion of our operating costs and capital expenditures could be characterized as costs of environmental protection. Such costs may increase in the future as a result of regulation. However, we believe that we generally tend to benefit when environmental regulation increases, because such regulations increase the demand for our services, and we have the resources and experience to manage environmental risk.

 

Estimates of the extent of our degree of responsibility for remediation of a particular site and the method and ultimate cost of remediation require a number of assumptions and are inherently difficult, and the ultimate outcome may differ materially from current estimates. However, we believe that our extensive experience in the environmental services industry, as well as our involvement with a large number of sites, provides a reasonable basis for estimating our aggregate liability. As additional information becomes available, estimates are adjusted as necessary. It is reasonably possible that technological, regulatory or enforcement developments, the results of environmental studies, the nonexistence or inability of other PRPs to contribute to the settlements of such liabilities, or other factors could necessitate the recording of additional liabilities which could be material.

 

As of September 30, 2006, we had been notified that we are a PRP in connection with 73 locations listed on the EPA’s National Priorities List (“NPL”). Of the 73 sites at which claims have been made against us, 16 are sites we own. Each of the NPL sites we own were initially developed by others as landfill disposal facilities. At each of these facilities, we are working in conjunction with the government to characterize or remediate identified site problems, and we have either agreed with other legally liable parties on an arrangement for sharing the costs of remediation or are pursuing resolution of an allocation formula. We generally expect to receive any amounts due from these parties at, or near, the time that we make the remedial expenditures. The 57 NPL sites at which claims have been made against us and that we do not own are at various procedural stages under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, which is known as CERCLA or Superfund.

 

The majority of these proceedings involve allegations that certain of our subsidiaries (or their predecessors) transported hazardous substances to the sites, often prior to our acquisition of these subsidiaries. CERCLA generally provides for liability for those parties owning, operating, transporting to or disposing at the sites. Proceedings arising under Superfund typically involve numerous waste generators and other waste transportation and disposal companies and seek to allocate or recover costs associated with site investigation and remediation, which costs could be substantial and could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements. At some of the sites at which we’ve been identified as a PRP, our liability is well defined as a consequence of a governmental decision and an agreement among liable parties as to the share each will pay for implementing that remedy. At other sites, where no remedy has been selected or the liable parties have been unable to agree on an appropriate allocation, our future costs are uncertain. Any of these matters potentially could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.

 

For more information regarding commitments and contingencies with respect to environmental matters, see Note 2.

 

Litigation — In December 1999, an individual brought an action against the Company, five former officers of WM Holdings, and WM Holdings’ former independent auditor, Arthur Andersen LLP, in Illinois state court on behalf of a proposed class of individuals who purchased WM Holdings common stock before November 3, 1994, and who held that stock through February 24, 1998. The action is for alleged acts of common law fraud, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty. This case has remained in the pleadings stage for the last several years due to numerous motions and rulings by the court related to the viability of these claims. The defendants had removed the case to federal court, but recently agreed to the matter being handled in state court as originally filed. The Company believes recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions in other cases require the Illinois trial court to rule that this matter

 

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NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

cannot proceed as a class action. Only limited discovery has occurred and the defendants continue to defend themselves vigorously. The extent of possible damages, if any, in this action cannot yet be determined.

 

In April 2002, a former participant in WM Holdings’ ERISA plans and another individual filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. against WMI, WM Holdings and others, attempting to increase the recovery of a class of ERISA plan participants based on allegations related to both the events alleged in, and the settlements relating to, the securities class action against WM Holdings that was settled in 1998 and the securities class action against us that was settled in November 2001. Subsequently, the issues related to the latter class action have been dropped as to WMI, its officers and directors. The case is ongoing with respect to WM Holdings and others, and WM Holdings intends to defend itself vigorously.

 

Two separate lawsuits currently pending in Texas state court against WMI and certain former officers of WMI allege that the plaintiffs are substantial holders of the Company’s common stock who intended to sell their stock in 1999, or to otherwise protect themselves against loss, but that WMI made public statements regarding its prospects, and in some instances individual defendants, all of whom were members of prior management, made statements that were false and misleading and induced the plaintiffs to retain their stock or not to take other protective measures. The plaintiffs assert that the value of their retained stock declined dramatically and that they incurred significant losses. The plaintiffs assert claims for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and conspiracy. The first of these cases was dismissed by summary judgment by a Texas state court in March 2002. That dismissal was ultimately upheld by the appellate court and the plaintiffs requested permission to appeal this decision to the highest state court in Texas, which, after briefing, has denied the plaintiff’s request to hear the case and therefore, the dismissal will stand. The second case had been stayed pending resolution of the first case; we are awaiting a decision by the plaintiff as to whether he will dismiss the case or proceed on another theory, in which case WMI and the other defendants will continue to vigorously defend themselves.

 

The Company has been defending allegations related generally to the termination of a joint venture to which one of our wholly-owned subsidiaries was a party. The claim involves the value of the joint venture, our interest in which was divested in 2000. The matter has been arbitrated and we are awaiting a final ruling. The other party in this matter is seeking a variety of remedies, ranging from monetary damages to unwinding the transaction; however, the nature and extent of the outcome cannot be predicted at this time.

 

From time to time, we pay fines or penalties in environmental proceedings relating primarily to waste treatment, storage or disposal facilities. At September 30, 2006, there were three proceedings involving our subsidiaries where we reasonably believe that the sanctions could exceed $100,000. The matters involve allegations that subsidiaries (i) failed to comply with air permit, air emission and leachate storage capacity requirements at an operating landfill; (ii) violated a number of state solid waste regulations and permit conditions (including, but not limited to, exceedence of permitted grades, exceedences of leachate head levels, failure to maintain records and notify the state regulatory agency of noncompliance) and federal air regulations at an operating landfill; and (iii) failed to meet reporting requirements under federal air regulations at an operating landfill. We do not believe that the fines or other penalties in any of these matters will, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

 

It is not always possible to predict the impact that lawsuits, proceedings, investigations and inquiries may have on us, nor is it possible to predict whether additional suits or claims may arise out of the matters described above in the future. We intend to defend ourselves vigorously in all of the above matters. However, it is possible that the outcome of any of the matters described, or others, may ultimately have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows in one or more future periods.

 

From time to time, we also are named as defendants in personal injury and property damage lawsuits, including purported class actions, on the basis of having owned, operated or transported waste to a disposal facility that is alleged to have contaminated the environment or, in certain cases, on the basis of having conducted environmental remediation activities at sites. Some of the lawsuits may seek to have us pay the costs of monitoring and health care

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

examinations of allegedly affected sites and persons for a substantial period of time even where no actual damage is proven. While we believe we have meritorious defenses to these lawsuits, the ultimate resolution is often substantially uncertain due to the difficulty of determining the cause, extent and impact of alleged contamination (which may have occurred over a long period of time), the potential for successive groups of complainants to emerge, the diversity of the individual plaintiffs’ circumstances, and the potential contribution or indemnification obligations of co-defendants or other third parties, among other factors. Accordingly, it is possible such matters could have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial statements.

 

We are also involved in other civil litigation and governmental proceedings that arise in connection with our operations, including litigation involving: former employees; competitors; persons from whom we purchased businesses or assets; and counterparties to contracts, including those for the purchase or sale of goods and services and relating to the operation of facilities. Although the results of litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not believe that any such matters will ultimately have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial statements.

 

Under Delaware law, corporations are allowed to indemnify their officers, directors and employees against claims arising from their actions in such capacities if the individuals acted in good faith and in a manner they believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation. Further, corporations are allowed to advance defense expenses to the individuals in such matters, contingent upon the receipt of an undertaking by the individuals to repay all expenses if it is ultimately determined that they did not act in good faith and in a manner they believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation. Like many Delaware companies, WMI’s charter and bylaws require indemnification and advancement of expenses subject to meeting an applicable standard of conduct. Additionally, WMI has entered into separate indemnification agreements with members of its Board of Directors as well as its Chief Executive Officer, its President and Chief Operating Officer and its Chief Financial Officer. Additionally, the charter and bylaw documents of certain of WMI’s subsidiaries, including WM Holdings, include similar indemnification provisions, and some subsidiaries, including WM Holdings, entered into separate indemnification agreements with their officers and directors prior to our acquisition of them that provide for even greater rights and protections for the individuals.

 

The Company may incur substantial expenses in connection with the fulfillment of its advancement of costs and indemnification obligations in connection with current actions involving former officers of the Company or its subsidiaries or other actions or proceedings that may be brought against its former or current officers, directors and employees. The Company’s obligations to indemnify and advance expenses continue after individuals leave the Company for claims related to actions that occurred before their departures from the Company.

 

Tax matters — We are currently under audit by the IRS and from time to time are audited by other taxing authorities. We fully cooperate with all audits, but defend our positions vigorously. Our audits are in various stages of completion. We have concluded several audits in the last two years. During the second quarter of 2006, we concluded the IRS audit for the years 2002 and 2003. The current period financial statement impact of concluding this audit is discussed in Note 5. In addition, we have started the examination phase of an IRS audit for the years 2004 and 2005. We expect this audit to be completed within the next 12 months. To provide for certain potential tax exposures, we maintain an allowance for tax contingencies, the balance of which management believes is adequate. Results of audit assessments by taxing authorities could have a material effect on our quarterly or annual cash flows as audits are completed, although we do not believe that current tax audit matters will have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

 

As discussed in Note 4, we have approximately $2.8 billion of tax-exempt financings as of September 30, 2006. Tax-exempt financings are structured pursuant to certain terms and conditions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), which exempts from taxation the interest income earned by the bondholders in the transactions. The requirements of the Code can be complex, and failure to comply with these requirements could cause certain past interest payments made on the bonds to be taxable and could cause either outstanding principal amounts on the bonds to be accelerated or future interest payments on the bonds to be taxable. Some of the

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

Company’s tax-exempt financings have been, or currently are, the subject of examinations by the IRS to determine whether the financings meet the requirements of the Code and applicable regulations. It is possible that an adverse determination by the IRS could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s liquidity and results of operations.

 

Unclaimed property audit — We are currently undergoing an unclaimed property audit, which is being conducted by various state authorities. The property subject to review in this audit process generally includes unclaimed wages, vendor payments and customer refunds. State escheat laws generally require entities to report and remit abandoned and unclaimed property. Failure to timely report and remit the property can result in assessments that include substantial interest and penalties, in addition to the payment of the escheat liability itself. During 2006, we have submitted unclaimed property filings with all states. As a result of our findings, we determined that we had unrecorded obligations associated with unclaimed property of approximately $19 million for escheatable items for various periods between 1980 and 2004. Our “Selling, general and administrative” expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 include the charge recognized in the first quarter of 2006 required to record these obligations. During the first quarter of 2006, we also recognized $1 million of estimated interest obligations associated with our findings, which has been included in “Interest expense” in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. We have determined that the impact of these adjustments is not material to current or prior periods’ results of operations. Although we cannot currently estimate the potential financial impacts that any remaining audit findings may have, we do not expect any resulting obligations to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations or cash flows.

 

 

During the third quarter of 2005, we reorganized and simplified our management structure by reducing our Group and Corporate staffing levels. This reorganization increased the accountability and responsibility of our Market Areas and allowed us to streamline business decisions and reduce costs at the Group and Corporate offices. Additionally, as part of our restructuring, the responsibility for the management of our Canadian operations was allocated among our Eastern, Midwest and Western Groups, eliminating the Canadian Group. See discussion included in Note 11.

 

The reorganization eliminated about 600 employee positions throughout the Company. In the third and fourth quarters of 2005, we recorded $28 million for costs associated with the implementation of the new structure. These charges included $25 million for employee severance and benefit costs, $1 million related to abandoned operating lease agreements, and $2 million related to consulting fees incurred to align our sales strategy to our changes in both resources and leadership that resulted from the reorganization.

 

Through September 30, 2006, we had paid approximately $24 million of the employee severance and benefit costs incurred as a result of this restructuring. Approximately $6 million of these payments were made during 2006. As of September 30, 2006, $1 million of the related accrual remained for employee severance and benefit costs. The length of time we are obligated to make severance payments varies, with the longest obligation continuing through the third quarter of 2007.

 

 

We manage and evaluate our operations primarily through our Eastern, Midwest, Southern, Western, Wheelabrator and Recycling Groups. These six Groups are presented below as our reportable segments. Our segments provide integrated waste management services consisting of collection, disposal (solid waste and hazardous waste landfills), transfer, waste-to-energy facilities and independent power production plants that are managed by Wheelabrator, recycling services and other services to commercial, industrial, municipal and residential customers throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico and Canada. The operations not managed through our six operating Groups are presented herein as “Other.”

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

In the third quarter of 2005, we eliminated our Canadian Group, and the management of our Canadian operations was allocated among our Eastern, Midwest and Western Groups. The historical operating results of our Canadian operations have been allocated to the Eastern, Midwest and Western Groups to provide financial information that consistently reflects our current approach to managing our operations.

 

Our third quarter 2005 reorganization, as discussed in Note 10, also resulted in the centralization of certain Group office functions. The administrative costs associated with these functions were included in the measurement of income from operations for our reportable segments through August 2005, when the integration of these functions with our existing centralized processes was complete. Beginning in September 2005, these administrative costs have been included in income from operations of “Corporate and Other.” The reallocation of these costs has not significantly affected the operating results of our reportable segments.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

Summarized financial information concerning our reportable segments for the three and nine months ended September 30 is shown in the following tables (in millions):

 

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)