text: **Business Combinations**
  
  We make decisions to acquire or invest in businesses based on Ñnancial and strategic considerations. 
  Businesses acquired are accounted for under the purchase method of accounting and are included in our 
  Consolidated Financial Statements from the date of acquisition. 
  
  We acquired various solid waste businesses during the years ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002. 
  The aggregate purchase prices we paid for these transactions was $47.4 million, $51.5 million and 
  $55.8 million, respectively. 
  
  Cost in excess of fair value of net assets acquired (goodwill) for 2004 acquisitions totaled approximately 
  $13.2 million. As of December 31, 2004 we had goodwill, net of accumulated amortization, of 
  $1,562.7 million. 
  
  During 2004, $28.2 million of the total purchase price paid for acquisitions and contingent payments to 
  former owners was allocated to landÑll airspace. As of December 31, 2004, we had $743.6 million of landÑll 
  development costs, net of accumulated depletion and amortization, which includes purchase price allocated to 
  landÑll airspace as well as other capitalized landÑll costs. When a landÑll is acquired as part of a group of 
  assets, purchase price is allocated to airspace based upon the discounted expected future cash Öows of the 
  landÑll relative to the other assets within the acquired group and is adjusted for other non-depletable landÑll 
  assets and liabilities acquired (primarily Ñnal capping, closure and post-closure liabilities). LandÑll purchase 
  price is amortized using the units-of-consumption method over total available airspace, which includes 
  probable expansion airspace where appropriate. 