**Exhibit12.1**

 

**Statementof Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges**

 

 
| ** **                              | ** ** | ** **         | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | **Nine Months**    | ** ** |
|-----------------------------------------|------------|--------------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|--------------------|------------|
| ** **                              | ** ** | ** **         | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | **Ended**          | ** ** |
| ** **                              | ** ** | **1999**           | ** ** | **2000**   | ** ** | **2001**   | ** ** | **2002**   | ** ** | **2003**   | ** ** | **Sept. 30, 2004** | ** ** |
| ** **                              | ** ** | **(in thousands)** | ** ** |
| **Earnings**                            |       |               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |               |       |
| Income From Continuing Operations *     |       | 72,856             |       | 65,951     |       | 92,533     |       | 105,882    |       | 108,906    |       | 80,122             |       |
| Fixed Charges                           |       | 34,305             |       | 55,621     |       | 72,217     |       | 77,726     |       | 99,212     |       | 64,736             |       |
| Distributed Income of Equity Investment |       | —             |       | —     |       | 40,800     |       | 30,938     |       | 27,733     |       | 38,628             |       |
| Capitalized Interest                    |       | (2,133             | )          | (4,559     | )          | (4,000     | )          | (4,345     | )          | (5,290     | )          | (3,812             | )          |
| Total Earnings                          |       | 105,028            |       | 117,013    |       | 201,550    |       | 210,201    |       | 230,561    |       | 179,674            |       |
|                                    |       |               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |               |       |
| **Fixed Charges**                       |       |               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |               |       |
| Interest Expense                        |       | 31,563             |       | 48,982     |       | 66,057     |       | 70,537     |       | 89,540     |       | 57,002             |       |
| Capitalized Interest                    |       | 2,133              |       | 4,559      |       | 4,000      |       | 4,345      |       | 5,290      |       | 3,812              |       |
| Rental Interest Factor                  |       | 609                |       | 2,080      |       | 2,160      |       | 2,844      |       | 4,382      |       | 3,922              |       |
| Total Fixed Charges                     |       | 34,305             |       | 55,621     |       | 72,217     |       | 77,726     |       | 99,212     |       | 64,736             |       |
|                                    |       |               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |               |       |
| **Ratio: Earnings / Fixed Charges**     |       | 3.06               |       | 2.10       |       | 2.79       |       | 2.70       |       | 2.32       |       | 2.78               |       |

 

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*  Excludes minority interest,extraordinary loss, gain on sale of assets and undistributed equity earnings.

 

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