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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
In the ordinary conduct of the Company’s business, the Company is from time to time subject to lawsuits, investigations, and claims, including class action proceedings, mass tort actions, tort actions, environmental claims, and employee-related matters. The outcome of these matters cannot always be predicted accurately, but the Company accrues liabilities for these matters if the Company has determined that it is probable a loss has been incurred and the loss can be reasonably estimated. For such ongoing matters for which we have not recorded a liability but losses are reasonably possible, we are unable to estimate a range of possible losses at this time due to various reasons that may include but are not limited to, matters being in an early stage and not fully developed through pleadings, discovery or court proceedings, number of potential claimants being unknown or uncertainty regarding a number of different factors underlying the potential claims. However, the ultimate resolution of one or more of these contingencies could result in an adverse outcome that may have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Environmental Matters
The Company’s refineries, pipelines and related operations are subject to extensive and frequently changing federal, state and local laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, those relating to the discharge of materials into the environment or that otherwise relate to the protection of the environment (including in response to the potential impacts of climate change), waste management and the characteristics and the compositions of fuels. Compliance with existing and anticipated laws and regulations can increase the overall cost of operating the refineries, including remediation, operating costs, and capital costs to construct, maintain and upgrade equipment and facilities.
These laws and permits raise potential exposure to future claims and lawsuits involving environmental and safety matters which could include soil and water contamination, air pollution, personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by substances which the Company manufactured, handled, used, released, or disposed of, transported, or that relate to pre-existing conditions for which the Company has assumed responsibility. The Company believes that its current operations are in compliance with existing environmental and safety requirements. However, there have been and will continue to be ongoing discussions about environmental and safety matters between the Company and federal and state authorities, including notices of violations, citations, and other enforcement actions, some of which have resulted or may result in changes to operating procedures and in capital expenditures. While it is often difficult to quantify future environmental or safety related expenditures, the Company anticipates that continuing capital investments and changes in operating procedures will be required for the foreseeable future to comply with existing and new requirements, as well as evolving interpretations and more strict enforcement of existing laws and regulations.
In connection with the acquisition of the Torrance refinery and related logistics assets, the Company assumed certain pre-existing environmental liabilities. The estimated costs related to these remediation obligations totaled $112.8 million as of March 31, 2024 ($114.9 million as of December 31, 2023) and related primarily to remediation obligations to address existing soil and groundwater contamination and the related monitoring and clean-up activities. Costs related to these obligations are reassessed periodically or when changes to our remediation approach are identified. The current portion of the environmental liability is recorded in Accrued expenses and the non-current portion is recorded in Other long-term liabilities.
The aggregate environmental liability reflected in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets was $156.7 million and $157.8 million at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, of which $143.0 million and $141.2 million, respectively, were classified as Other long-term liabilities. These liabilities include remediation and monitoring costs expected to be incurred over an extended period of time. Estimated liabilities could increase in the future when the results of ongoing investigations become known, are considered probable and can be reasonably estimated.
Contingent Consideration
In connection with the acquisition of the Martinez refinery and related logistics assets, the sale and purchase agreement dated June 11, 2019 included an earn-out provision based on certain earnings thresholds of the Martinez refinery. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company will make payments to Equilon Enterprises LLC d/b/a Shell Oil Products US, based on future earnings at the Martinez refinery in excess of certain thresholds, as defined in the agreement, for a period of up to four years following the acquisition closing date (the “Martinez Contingent Consideration”). The fair value of this final earn-out payment was estimated to be $18.3 million as of March 31, 2024, ($21.6 million as of December 31, 2023) and was recorded within Accrued expenses.
Tax Receivable Agreement
PBF Energy entered into a tax receivable agreement with the PBF LLC Series A and PBF LLC Series B unitholders (the “Tax Receivable Agreement”) that provides for the payment by PBF Energy to such persons of an amount equal to 85% of the amount of the benefits, if any, that PBF Energy is deemed to realize as a result of (i) increases in tax basis, as described below, and (ii) certain other tax benefits related to entering into the Tax Receivable Agreement, including tax benefits attributable to payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. For purposes of the Tax Receivable Agreement, the benefits deemed realized by PBF Energy will be computed by comparing the actual income tax liability of PBF Energy (calculated with certain assumptions) to the amount of such taxes that PBF Energy would have been required to pay had there been no increase to the tax basis of the assets of PBF LLC as a result of purchases or exchanges of PBF LLC Series A Units for shares of PBF Energy Class A common stock and had PBF Energy not entered into the Tax Receivable Agreement. The term of the Tax Receivable Agreement will continue until all such tax benefits have been utilized or expired unless: (i) PBF Energy exercises its right to terminate the Tax Receivable Agreement, (ii) PBF Energy breaches any of its material obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement or (iii) certain changes of control occur, in which case all obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement will generally be accelerated and due as calculated under certain assumptions.
The payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement are obligations of PBF Energy and not of any of its subsidiaries. In general, PBF Energy expects to obtain funding for these annual payments from PBF LLC, primarily through tax distributions, which PBF LLC makes on a pro-rata basis to its owners. Such owners include PBF Energy, which holds a 99.3% interest in PBF LLC as of both March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023. PBF LLC generally obtains funding to pay its tax distributions by causing PBF Holding to distribute cash to PBF LLC and from distributions it receives from PBFX Logistics LP (“PBFX”).
As of March 31, 2024, PBF Energy recognized a liability of $291.8 million related to the Tax Receivable Agreement obligation, of which $121.8 million was recorded as a current liability and represents the Company’s best estimate of payments to be made within a year. As of December 31, 2023 PBF Energy recognized a liability of $336.6 million, of which $43.0 million was recorded as a current liability and paid in January 2024 related to the 2022 tax year. These liabilities reflect the estimate of the undiscounted amounts that PBF Energy expects to pay under the agreement, net of the impact of any deferred tax asset valuation allowance recognized in accordance with Financial Accounting Standard Board, Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) 740, Income Taxes. As future taxable income is recognized, increases in PBF Energy’s Tax Receivable Agreement liability may be necessary in conjunction with the revaluation of deferred tax assets. Refer to “Note 10 - Income Taxes” for more details.