Illustration 2: Contaminated Land – Legislation Virtually Certain to be Enacted

An enterprise in the oil industry causes contamination but does not clean up because there is no legislation requiring cleaning up, and the enterprise has been contaminating land for several years. At 31 March 2005 it is virtually certain that a law requiring a clean-up of land already contaminated will be enacted shortly after the year end.

Present obligation as a result of a past obligating event – The obligating event is the contamination of the land because of the virtual certainty of legislation requiring cleaning up.

An outflow of resources embodying economic benefits in settlement – Probable.

Conclusion – A provision is recognised for the best estimate of the costs of the clean-up (see paragraphs 14 and 21).