of estimated permitted airspace plus an estimate of probable expansion airspace. These estimates are
developed annually by engineers utilizing information provided by annual aerial surveys. As of December 31,
2004, total available disposal capacity is estimated to be 1.5 billion in-place cubic yards of permitted airspace
plus .2 billion in-place cubic yards of probable expansion airspace. Before airspace included in an expansion
area is determined to be probable expansion airspace and, therefore, included in our calculation of total
available disposal capacity, it must meet our expansion criteria. See Note 3, Accrued LandÑll and
Environmental Costs of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
As of December 31, 2004, twelve of our landÑlls meet the criteria for including probable expansion
airspace in their total available disposal capacity. At projected annual volumes, these twelve landÑlls have an
estimated remaining average site life of 30 years, including probable expansion airspace. The average
estimated remaining life of all of our landÑlls is 30 years.
The following table reÖects the estimated operating lives of our active landÑll sites based on available
disposal capacity using current annual volumes as of December 31, 2004:
Number of Sites without Number of Sites with Total Percent
Expansion Airspace Expansion Airspace Sites of Total
0 to 5 years ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 6 1 7 12%
5° to 10 years ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 6 0 6 11
10° to 20 years ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 11 2 13 22
20° to 40 years ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 12 7 19 33
40° years ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 11 2 13 22
Total ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 46 12 58 100%
Sites with expansion airspace include four landÑlls with less than Ñve years of remaining permitted
airspace.
Final Capping, Closure and Post-Closure Costs
As of January 1, 2003, we adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 143, ""Accounting
for Asset Retirement Obligations.'' This statement required us to change the methodology we used to record
Ñnal capping, closure and post-closure costs. See Note 3, Accrued LandÑll and Environmental Costs, of the
Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
As of December 31, 2004, accrued Ñnal capping, closure and post-closure costs were $216.8 million. The
current portion of these costs of $14.6 million is reÖected in our Consolidated Balance Sheets in other current
liabilities. The long-term portion of these costs of $202.2 million is reÖected in our Consolidated Balance
Sheets in accrued landÑll and environmental costs.
39