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Commitments and Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies. |
Commitments and Contingencies | 18. Commitments and Contingencies Environmental Matters Due to the nature of our business, certain of our subsidiaries’ operations are subject to numerous existing and proposed laws and governmental regulations designed to protect human health and safety and the environment, particularly regarding plant wastes and emissions and solid waste disposal. Our consolidated environmental liabilities on an undiscounted basis were $5 million and $19 million as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, primarily within our Energy segment, which are included in accrued expenses and other liabilities in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. We do not believe that environmental matters will have a material adverse impact on our consolidated results of operations and financial condition. Energy RFS Disputes - CVR Energy’s obligated-party subsidiaries are subject to the Renewable Fuel Standard (“RFS”) implemented by the EPA which requires refiners to either blend renewable fuels into their transportation fuels or purchase renewable fuel credits, known as RINs, in lieu of blending, in an amount equal to the renewable volume obligation (“RVO”) for the applicable compliance year. CVR Energy’s obligated-party subsidiaries are not able to blend the substantial majority of their transportation fuels and, unless their obligations are waived or exempted by the EPA, must either purchase RINs on the open market or obtain waiver credits for cellulosic biofuels in order to comply with the RFS. CVR Energy’s obligated-party subsidiaries also purchase RINs generated from its renewable diesel operations to partially satisfy their RFS obligations. One of CVR Energy’s obligated-party subsidiaries, Wynnewood Refining Company, LLC (“WRC”), qualifies as a “small refinery” defined under the RFS as a refinery with an average aggregate daily crude oil throughput for a calendar year no greater than 75,000 barrels, which enables WRC to seek small refinery exemptions (“SREs”) under the RFS should it be able to establish it suffered disproportionate economic hardship. WRC’s petitions for SREs for the 2017 to 2021 compliance periods were denied by the EPA in April and June 2022 based on a new standard for evaluating SREs announced by the EPA in December 2021 and retroactively applied (collectively, the “2022 Denials”). However, the EPA failed to act after the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (the “Fifth Circuit”) vacated the 2022 Denials and remanded the SRE petitions of WRC and certain other small refineries back to the EPA, finding that the 2022 Denials were impermissibly retroactive and that the EPA’s interpretation of the SRE provisions of the RFS was contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious as applied to the Fifth Circuit petitioners’ SRE petitions. As the mandate in the Fifth Circuit was issued in January 2024, WRC expects to file suit against the EPA for violating the RFS by failing to rule on those petitions within 90 days following issuance of the mandate as required. In WRC’s lawsuit against the EPA for the damages it sustained as a result of the EPA’s late grant of its SRE petition for the 2018 compliance period (which SRE petition was later denied by the EPA in the 2022 Denials), the United States Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (the “DC Circuit”) held oral argument in April 2024, though no ruling has yet been issued. Regarding WRC’s SRE petition for the 2022 compliance period which was denied by the EPA in July 2023 largely on the same grounds as the 2022 Denials, the Fifth Circuit stayed WRC’s obligations under the RFS for 2022 and held WRC’s lawsuit against the EPA in abeyance pending the outcome of the lawsuit file by certain other small refineries against the EPA in the DC Circuit related to the 2022 Denials. The DC Circuit held oral argument in April 2024, though no ruling has yet been issued. Regarding WRC’s SRE petition for the 2023 compliance period, the EPA has failed to rule on WRC’s SRE petition within 90 days as required by the RFS. WRC filed suit against the EPA relating to such failure, but withdrew that suit in April 2024 following the EPA’s filing of a declaration that the EPA did not intend to pursue claims against WRC relating to the 2023 compliance period pending the outcome of the various SRE litigations. If the EPA fails to rule on WRC’s SRE petition, WRC expects to file suit against the EPA for this failure. WRC’s challenges to the EPA’s Final Rules issued in June 2022 and June 2023 establishing the 2020 to 2022 RVOs and 2023 to 2025 RVOs, respectively, also remain pending. CVR Energy cannot yet determine at this time the outcomes of these matters. While CVR Energy intends to prosecute these actions vigorously, if these matters are ultimately concluded in a manner adverse to CVR Energy, they could have a material effect on CVR Energy’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. Our Energy segment recognized a benefit of approximately $51 million and $11 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, for CVR Energy’s obligated-party subsidiaries’ compliance with the RFS (based on the 2020 through 2024 annual RVO for the respective periods, excluding the impacts of any exemptions or waivers to which the obligated-party subsidiaries may be entitled). These recognized amounts are included in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statements of operations and represent costs to comply with the RFS obligation through purchasing of RINs not otherwise reduced by blending of ethanol, biodiesel, or renewable diesel. At each reporting period, to the extent RINs purchased or generated through blending are less than the RFS obligation (excluding the impact of exemptions or waivers to which CVR Energy’s obligated-party subsidiaries may be entitled), the remaining position is valued using RIN market prices at period end using each specific or closest vintage year. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, CVR Energy’s obligated-party subsidiaries’ RFS position was $294 million and $329 million, respectively, and is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Clean Air Act Matter - CVR Energy’s indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Coffeyville Resource Refining & Marketing, LLC (“CRRM”) and certain of its affiliates settled claims brought in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas (“D. Kan”) by the United States, on behalf of the EPA, and the State of Kansas, on behalf of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (“KDHE”) seeking both statutory and stipulated penalties primarily relating to the Coffeyville Refinery’s flares, heaters, and related matters. The terms of the settlement are set forth in a Consent Decree (“CD”) that was entered by the D. Kan on January 10, 2024. The EPA and KDHE sought stipulated penalties under a 2012 Consent Decree (the “Stipulated Claims”), which amount CRRM previously deposited into a commercial escrow account which were legally restricted for use and included in Other current assets on CVR Energy’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets; those escrowed funds were released in February 2024 and the settlement amount was paid. The settlement did not and is not expected in the future to have a material adverse impact on CVR Energy’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. 45Q Transaction In January 2023, CVR Energy and its obligated-party subsidiaries entered into a joint venture and related agreements with unaffiliated third-party investors and others intended to qualify for certain tax credits available under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code. Under the agreements entered into in connection with the 45Q Transactions, CVR Partners and certain of its subsidiaries are obligated to meet certain minimum quantities of carbon dioxide supply each year during the term of the agreement and could be subject to fees of up to $15 million per year, with an overall cap at $45 million, should it fail to perform. Litigation From time to time, we and our subsidiaries are involved in various lawsuits arising in the normal course of business. We do not believe that such normal routine litigation will have a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations. See the matters described under the caption “Other” below. Energy Call Option Coverage Case – In April 2024, in the lawsuit (the “Delaware Coverage Case”) filed by CVR Energy and certain of its affiliates (the “Call Defendants”) against its primary and excess insurers (the “Insurers”) alleging breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing against the Insurers relating to their denial of coverage of the Call Defendants’ defense expenses and indemnity, as well as other conduct of the Insurers relating to the CVR Energy’s December 2022 settlement of the consolidated lawsuits (collectively, the “Call Option Lawsuits”) filed by purported former unitholders of CVR Refining on behalf of themselves and an alleged class of similarly situated unitholders against the Call Defendants relating to CVR Energy’s exercise of the call option under the CVR Refining Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership assigned to it by CVR Refining’s general partner including the August 2022 Stipulation, Compromise and Release (the “Settlement”), the Superior Court of the State of Delaware (the “Superior Court”) issued an order compelling the parties to engage in briefing as to the impact, if any, of the summary judgment granted in favor of the Insurers by the 434th Judicial District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas in the Insurer’s separate lawsuit (the “Texas Coverage Case”) against the Call Defendants seeking determination that the Insurers owe no indemnity coverage under policies with coverage limits of $50 million for the Settlement, which summary judgment the Call Defendants have appealed. While the Delaware Coverage Case and the Texas Coverage Case remain pending, CVR Energy does not expect the outcome of these lawsuits to have a material adverse impact on the CVR Energy’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. Other Matters Pension Obligations Mr. Icahn, through certain affiliates, owns 100% of Icahn Enterprises GP and approximately 85% of Icahn Enterprises’ outstanding depositary units as of March 31, 2024. Applicable pension and tax laws make each member of a “controlled group” of entities, generally defined as entities in which there is at least an 80% common ownership interest, jointly and severally liable for certain pension plan obligations of any member of the controlled group. These pension obligations include ongoing contributions to fund the plan, as well as liability for any unfunded liabilities that may exist at the time the plan is terminated. In addition, the failure to pay these pension obligations when due may result in the creation of liens in favor of the pension plan or the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (the “PBGC”) against the assets of each member of the controlled group. As a result of the more than 80% ownership interest in us by Mr. Icahn’s affiliates, we and our subsidiaries are subject to the pension liabilities of entities in which Mr. Icahn has a direct or indirect ownership interest of at least 80%, which includes the liabilities of pension plans sponsored by Viskase and ACF Industries LLC (“ACF”), an affiliate of Mr. Icahn. All the minimum funding requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, for the Viskase and ACF plans have been met as of March 31, 2024. If the plans were voluntarily terminated, they would be underfunded by an aggregate of approximately $39 million as of March 31, 2024. These results are based on the most recent information provided by the plans’ actuaries. These liabilities could increase or decrease, depending on a number of factors, including future changes in benefits, investment returns, and the assumptions used to calculate the liability. As members of the controlled group, we would be liable for any failure of Viskase or ACF to make ongoing pension contributions or to pay the unfunded liabilities upon a termination of the Viskase or ACF pension plans. In addition, other entities now or in the future within the controlled group in which we are included may have pension plan obligations that are, or may become, underfunded and we would be liable for any failure of such entities to make ongoing pension contributions or to pay the unfunded liabilities upon termination of such plans. The current underfunded status of the pension plans of Viskase and ACF requires them to notify the PBGC of certain “reportable events,” such as if we cease to be a member of the Viskase or ACF controlled group, or if we make certain extraordinary dividends or stock redemptions. The obligation to report could cause us to seek to delay or reconsider the occurrence of such reportable events. Starfire Holding Corporation (“Starfire”), which is 99.6% owned by Mr. Icahn, has undertaken to indemnify us and our subsidiaries from losses resulting from any imposition of certain pension funding or termination liabilities that may be imposed on us and our subsidiaries or our assets as a result of being a member of the Icahn controlled group, including ACF. The Starfire indemnity provides, among other things, that so long as such contingent liabilities exist and could be imposed on us, Starfire will not make any distributions to its stockholders that would reduce its net worth to below $250 million. Nonetheless, Starfire may not be able to fund its indemnification obligations to us. Other Icahn Enterprises L.P. was contacted on May 3, 2023 by the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York and on June 21, 2023 by the staff of the Division of Enforcement of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), seeking production of information relating to the Company and certain of its affiliates’ corporate governance, capitalization, securities offerings, disclosure, dividends, valuation, marketing materials, due diligence and other materials. We are cooperating with these requests and investigations and are providing documents in response to these requests for information. In addition, two putative securities class action lawsuits have been filed against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida alleging violations of the federal securities laws, Okaro v. Icahn Enterprises L.P. et al., Case No. 23-21773 (S.D. Fl.), and Levine v. Icahn Enterprises L.P. et al., Case No. 23-22009 (S.D. Fl.). These lawsuits have been consolidated and the court appointed a lead plaintiff on November 20, 2023. Plaintiffs filed their consolidated class action complaint on January 12, 2024, and we filed our motion to dismiss the consolidated class action complaint on March 12, 2024. A derivative complaint has also been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, naming the Company’s general partner, its directors, and certain current and former officers as defendants, and the Company as a nominal defendant, alleging breaches of fiduciary duties with respect to the Company’s disclosure, Patrick Pickney v. Icahn Enterprises G.P. Inc. Case No. 1:23-cv-22932-KMW (S.D. Fl.). In addition, an action to compel inspection of our books and records was filed on November 22, 2023 in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, Bruno v. Icahn Enterprises, L.P. et al., Case No. 2023-1170-SEM. We believe that we maintain a strong compliance program and, while no assurances can be made, and we are still evaluating these matters, we do not currently believe that these inquiries and litigations will have a material impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

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