Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In October 2001, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Statement No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets,” which is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2001. This new standard, when in effect, will supersede SFAS Statement No. 121, “Accounting for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for the Long-Lived Assets to Be Disposed Of”, providing one accounting model for the review of asset impairment. Statement No. 144 retains much of the recognition and measurement provisions of Statement No. 121, but removes goodwill from its scope. It also requires long-lived assets to be disposed of other than by sale to be considered as held and used until disposed of, requiring the depreciable life to be adjusted as an accounting change. Criteria to classify long-lived assets to be disposed of by sale has changed from SFAS Statement No. 121, but these costs will continue to be reported at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell, and will cease to be depreciated.
Statement 144 will also supercede the section of the Accounting Principles Board (APB) Opinion No. 30, which prescribes reporting for the effects of a disposal of a segment of a business. This statement retains the basic presentation provisions of the opinion, but requires losses on a disposal or discontinued operation to be recognized as incurred. It also broadens the definition of a discontinued operation to include a component of an entity.
In July 2001, the FASB issued Statement No. 143, “Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations.” The objective of this statement is to provide accounting guidance for legal

obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets by requiring the fair value of a liability for the asset retirement obligation to be recognized in the period in which it is incurred. When the liability is initially recognized, the asset retirement costs should also be capitalized by increasing the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. The liability is then accreted to its present value each period and the capitalized costs are depreciated over the useful life of the associated asset. This statement is effective for fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2002.
In June 2001, the (FASB) issued Statement No. 141, “Business Combinations”, and Statement No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets”. Statement No. 141 supersedes APB Opinion No. 16, “Business Combinations”, and FASB Statement No. 28, “Accounting for Pre-acquisition Contingencies of Purchased Enterprises”. This statement requires accounting for all business combinations using the purchase method, and changes the criteria for recognizing intangible assets apart from goodwill. This statement is effective for all business combinations initiated after June 30, 2001 and as such, the Company’s July 2001 acquisition of certain Borden brands was accounted for in accordance with this statement. Statement No. 142 supercedes APB Opinion No. 17, “Intangible Assets” and addresses how purchased intangibles should be accounted for upon acquisition. The statement also addresses how goodwill and other intangible assets should be accounted for after they have been initially recognized in the financial statements. Upon adoption of this statement October 1, 2001, intangibles acquired as a part of the Mueller’s transaction will be deemed to have an indefinite life and amortization will no longer be incurred.