6. RESTRUCTURING, IMPAIRMENT AND PLANT CLOSING COSTS

        As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, accrued restructuring costs by type of cost and initiative consisted of the following (dollars in millions):

                                                                                                                                                                                    

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        Details with respect to our reserves for restructuring, impairment and plant closing costs are provided below by segment and initiative (dollars in millions):

                                                                                                                                                                                    

        Details with respect to cash and noncash restructuring charges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 by initiative are provided below (dollars in millions):

                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

                                                                                                                                                                                    

2015 RESTRUCTURING ACTIVITIES

        In June 2015, our Polyurethanes segment announced a restructuring program in Europe. In connection with this restructuring program, we recorded restructuring expense of $14 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2015 related primarily to workforce reductions.

        In June 2015, our Advanced Materials segment initiated a restructuring program in Europe. In connection with this restructuring program, we recorded restructuring expense of $6 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2015 related primarily to workforce reductions and accelerated depreciation recorded as restructuring, impairment and plant closing costs.

        On September 27, 2011, we announced plans to implement a significant restructuring of our Textile Effects segment, including the closure of our production facilities and business support offices in Basel, Switzerland, as part of an ongoing strategic program aimed at improving the Textile Effects segment's long-term global competitiveness. In connection with this plan, during the nine months ended September 30, 2015, our Textile Effects segment recorded charges of $6 million for non-cancelable long-term contract termination costs, $4 million for decommissioning and $2 million in other restructuring costs associated with this initiative. In addition, we recorded charges of $5 million associated with other initiatives. We expect to finalize negotiations for settlement of certain of these non-cancelable long-term contracts during the fourth quarter of 2015.

        On December 1, 2014, we announced that we are taking significant action to improve the global competitiveness of our Pigments and Additives segment. As part of a comprehensive restructuring program, we plan to reduce our workforce by approximately 900 positions. In connection with this restructuring program, during the nine months ended September 30, 2015, our Pigments and Additives segment recorded charges of $51 million for workforce reductions, $3 million for pension related charges and $12 million in other restructuring costs associated with this initiative. We expect to complete this program by the middle of 2016.

        On February 12, 2015, we announced a plan to close the 'black end' manufacturing operations and ancillary activities at our Calais, France site, which will reduce our titanium dioxide capacity by approximately 100 kilotons, or 13% of our European titanium dioxide capacity. In connection with this announcement, we began to accelerate depreciation on the affected assets and recorded accelerated depreciation in the nine months ended September 30, 2015 of $73 million as restructuring, impairment and plant closing costs. In addition, during the nine months ended September 30, 2015, we recorded charges of $21 million for workforce reductions and non-cash charges of $10 million. We expect to complete this program by the end of 2016.

        On March 4, 2015, we announced plans to restructure our color pigments business, another step in our previously announced plan to significantly restructure our global Pigments and Additives segment, and recorded restructuring expense of approximately $5 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2015 primarily related to workforce reductions. We expect to complete this program by the middle of 2016.

2014 RESTRUCTURING ACTIVITIES

        In connection with a September 2014 announcement of a feasibility study into a MDI production expansion at our Geismar, Louisiana facility, we concluded that certain capitalized engineering costs associated with a previously planned MDI production expansion at our Rotterdam, The Netherlands facility were impaired and our Polyurethanes segment recorded a noncash impairment charge of $16 million during the third quarter of 2014.

        During 2013, our Performance Products segment initiated a restructuring program to refocus its surfactants business in Europe. In connection with this program, on June 25, 2014 we completed the sale of our European commodity surfactants business, including the ethoxylation facility in Lavera, France to Wilmar. In addition, Wilmar has entered into a multi-year arrangement to purchase certain sulphated surfactant products from our facilities in St. Mihiel, France and Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy. During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, we recorded charges of $23 million primarily related to workforce reductions.

        During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, our Advanced Materials segment recorded charges of $12 million primarily related to workforce reductions with our global transformational change program designed to improve the segment's manufacturing efficiencies, enhance its commercial excellence and improve its long-term global competitiveness.

        On September 27, 2011, we announced plans to implement a significant restructuring of our Textile Effects segment, including the closure of our production facilities and business support offices in Basel, Switzerland, as part of an ongoing strategic program aimed at improving the Textile Effects segment's long-term global competitiveness. In connection with this plan, during the nine months ended September 30, 2014, our Textile Effects segment recorded charges of $9 million and an $8 million noncash charge for a pension settlement loss associated with this initiative. In June 2014, we announced plans for the closure our Qingdao, China plant to be completed by December 2015. During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, we recorded charges of $6 million primarily related to workforce reductions related to this initiative.

        During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, our Corporate and other segment recorded charges of $11 million in association with a reorganization of our global information technology organization.