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Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Contingencies Contingencies
In the ordinary course of business, we may become party to legal, regulatory or administrative proceedings or governmental investigations, including environmental and other matters. Damages or penalties may be sought from us in some matters and certain matters may require years to resolve. While the outcome and impact of these proceedings and investigations on us cannot be predicted with certainty, based on the advice of counsel and information currently available to us, management believes that the resolution of these proceedings and investigations through settlement or adverse judgment will not either individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
During 2017 and 2019, the EPA granted the Cheyenne, Wyoming refinery (the “Cheyenne Refinery”) and the refinery in Woods Cross, Utah (the “Woods Cross Refinery”) each a one-year small refinery exemption from the Renewable Fuel Standard program requirements for the 2016 and 2018, respectively, compliance years. As a result, the Cheyenne Refinery’s and Woods Cross Refinery’s gasoline and diesel production were not subject to the renewable volume obligation for the respective years. Upon each exemption granted, we increased our inventory of RINs and reduced our cost of materials and other. On April 7, 2022, the EPA issued a decision reversing the grant of small refinery exemptions for our Woods Cross Refinery and Cheyenne Refinery for the 2018 compliance year. On June 3, 2022, the EPA issued a decision reversing the grant of small refinery exemptions for our Woods Cross Refinery and Cheyenne Refinery for the 2016 compliance year and denying small refinery exemption petitions for our Woods Cross Refinery and Cheyenne Refinery for the 2019 and 2020 compliance years.

Certain of our subsidiaries pursued legal challenges to the EPA’s decisions to deny small refinery exemptions for the 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020 compliance years. The first lawsuit, filed against the EPA on May 6, 2022, before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, sought to have the EPA’s reversal of our 2018 small refinery exemption petitions overturned. The second lawsuit, filed against the EPA on August 5, 2022, before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, sought to have the EPA’s reversal of our 2016 small refinery exemption petitions overturned and to have the EPA’s denial of our 2019 and 2020 small refinery exemption petitions reversed.

In addition, pursuant to the June 2022 and April 2022 decisions, respectively, the EPA established an alternative compliance demonstration to not impose obligations on small refineries that had exemptions reversed for the 2016 and 2018 compliance years. On June 24, 2022, Growth Energy filed two lawsuits in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit against the EPA, challenging the alternative compliance demonstration for the 2016 and 2018 compliance years. On July 25, 2022, certain of our subsidiaries intervened on behalf of the EPA to aid the defense of the EPA’s alternative compliance demonstration decision.

On July 26, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit issued a favorable decision vacating the EPA’s denial of all of our small refinery exemption petitions, finding the denial to be unlawful. The DC Circuit will remand the small refinery exemption petitions to the EPA for new determination. The DC Circuit also upheld the alternative compliance demonstration and denied Growth Energy’s challenge.

Since these decisions are still subject to appeal, it is too early to determine their final impact. We are unable to estimate the costs we may incur, if any, at this time.