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Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Contingencies | CONTINGENCIES We have described below the material judicial and administrative proceedings to which we are subject. Environmental Matters We have contingent environmental liabilities that arise principally from three sources: (i) facilities currently or formerly owned by our subsidiaries or their predecessors; (ii) facilities adjacent to currently or formerly owned facilities; and (iii) third-party Superfund or state equivalent sites. At facilities currently or formerly owned by our subsidiaries or their predecessors, the historical use and handling of regulated chemical substances, crop and animal nutrients and additives and by-product or process tailings have resulted in soil, surface water and/or groundwater contamination. Spills or other releases of regulated substances, subsidence from mining operations and other incidents arising out of operations, including accidents, have occurred previously at these facilities and potentially could occur in the future, possibly requiring us to undertake or fund cleanup or result in monetary damage awards, fines, penalties, other liabilities, injunctions or other court or administrative rulings. In some instances, pursuant to consent orders or agreements with governmental agencies, we are undertaking certain remedial actions or investigations to determine whether remedial action may be required to address contamination. At other locations, we have entered into consent orders or agreements with appropriate governmental agencies to perform required remedial activities that will address identified site conditions. Taking into consideration established reserves of approximately $197.5 million and $203.2 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, of which $90.8 million and $148.9 million are included in Accrued Liabilities and $106.7 million and $54.3 million in Other Non Current Liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, expenditures for these known conditions currently are not expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a material effect on our business or financial condition. However, material expenditures could be required in the future to remediate the contamination at known sites or at other current or former sites or as a result of other environmental, health and safety matters. Below is a discussion of certain environmental matters. New Wales Phase II East Stack. In April 2022 we confirmed the presence of a cavity in and liner tear beneath the southern part of the active phosphogypsum stack at the Company’s New Wales facility in Florida. This resulted in process water draining beneath the stack. The circumstances were reported to the FDEP and the EPA. Phase I of the repairs, consisting of stabilizing the cavity by depositing low pressure grout into it, began in July 2022 and now is complete. Phase II work, which consists of injecting high pressure grout beneath the stack to restore the geological confining layer beneath it, began in early in 2023 and the work is now complete. As of December 31, 2024 we have a reserve of $14.7 million, included in the above amount, for the estimated repairs. We are unable to estimate at this time potential future additional financial impacts or a range of loss, if any, due to the ongoing evaluation. New Wales Phase II West Stack. In October 2023 we observed a series of seismic acoustic emissions and changes to piezometric water levels in a part of the Phase II West phosphogypsum stack at the New Wales, Florida facility. These observations may be an indication of a breach in the stack liner system and were reported to the FDEP and EPA. We have begun repairs: stabilization grouting is now complete and high-pressure grouting began in October 2024. The area of the stack is not in use for either process water storage or additional gypsum placement. It lies within a zone of capture of a recovery groundwater well which is operating as intended. No offsite impacts are known or expected. As of December 31, 2024 we have a reserve of $81.5 million, included in the above established reserves, for estimated repairs. We are unable to estimate at this time potential future additional financial impacts or a range of loss, if any, due to the ongoing evaluation. EPA RCRA Initiative. We have certain financial assurance and other obligations under consent decrees and a separate financial assurance arrangement relating to our facilities in Florida and Louisiana. These obligations are discussed in Note 14 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Other Environmental Matters. Superfund and equivalent state statutes impose liability without regard to fault or to the legality of a party’s conduct on certain categories of persons who are considered to have contributed to the release of “hazardous substances” into the environment. Under Superfund, or its various state analogues, one party may, under certain circumstances, be required to bear more than its proportionate share of cleanup costs at a site where it has liability if payments cannot be obtained from other responsible parties. Currently, certain of our subsidiaries are involved or concluding involvement at several Superfund or equivalent state sites. Our remedial liability from these sites, alone or in the aggregate, currently is not expected to have a material effect on our business or financial condition. As more information is obtained regarding these sites and the potentially responsible parties involved, this expectation could change. We believe that, pursuant to several indemnification agreements, our subsidiaries are entitled to at least partial, and in many instances complete, indemnification for the costs that may be expended by us or our subsidiaries to remedy environmental issues at certain facilities. These agreements address issues that resulted from activities occurring prior to our acquisition of facilities or businesses from parties including, but not limited to: ARCO (BP); Beatrice Fund for Environmental Liabilities; Conoco; Conserv; Estech, Inc.; Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation; Kerr-McGee Inc.; PPG Industries, Inc.; The Williams Companies; CF; and certain other private parties. Our subsidiaries have already received and anticipate receiving amounts pursuant to the indemnification agreements for certain of their expenses incurred to date as well as future anticipated expenditures. We record potential indemnifications as an offset to the established accruals when they are realizable or realized. The failure of an indemnitor to fulfill its obligations could result in future costs that could be material. Brazil Legal Contingencies Our Brazilian subsidiaries are engaged in a number of judicial and administrative proceedings regarding labor, environmental, mining and civil claims that allege aggregate damages and/or fines of approximately $559.2 million. We estimate that our probable aggregate loss with respect to these claims is approximately $79.3 million, which is included in our accrued liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2024. Approximately $377.1 million of the maximum potential loss above relates to labor claims, of which approximately $62.0 million is included in accrued liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2024. Based on Brazil legislation and the current status of similar labor cases involving unrelated companies, we believe we have recorded adequate loss contingency reserves sufficient to cover our estimate of probable losses. If the status of similar cases involving unrelated companies were to adversely change in the future, our maximum exposure could increase and additional accruals could be required. Brazil Tax Contingencies Our Brazilian subsidiaries are engaged in a number of judicial and administrative proceedings relating to various non-income tax matters. We estimate that our maximum potential liability with respect to these matters is approximately $601.8 million, of which $204.0 million is subject to an indemnification agreement entered into with Vale S.A in connection with an acquisition. Approximately $311.9 million of the maximum potential liability relates to a Brazilian federal value added tax, PIS and COFINS, and tax credit cases, while the majority of the remaining amount relates to various other non-income tax cases. The maximum potential liability can increase with new audits from Brazilian tax authorities. Based on Brazil tax legislation and the current status of similar tax cases involving unrelated taxpayers, we believe we have recorded adequate loss contingency reserves sufficient to cover our estimate of probable losses, which are immaterial. If the status of similar tax cases involving unrelated taxpayer changes in the future, additional accruals could be required. Other Claims We also have certain other contingent liabilities with respect to judicial, administrative and arbitration proceedings and claims of third parties, including tax matters, arising in the ordinary course of business. We do not believe that any of these contingent liabilities will have a material adverse impact on our business or financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

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