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Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies Commitments Unconditional Purchase Obligations As of December 31, 2020, purchase commitments for capital expenditures were $37.0 million, all of which is obligated in the next five years, with $29.3 million obligated within the next 12 months. In Australia, the Company has generally secured the ability to transport coal through rail contracts and ownership interests in five east coast coal export terminals that are primarily funded through take-or-pay arrangements with terms ranging up to 22 years. In the U.S., the Company has entered into certain long-term coal export terminal agreements to secure export capacity through the Gulf Coast. As of December 31, 2020, these Australian and U.S. commitments under take-or-pay arrangements totaled $1.2 billion, of which approximately $95 million is obligated within the next year. Contingencies From time to time, the Company or its subsidiaries are involved in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business or related to indemnities or historical operations. The Company believes it has recorded adequate reserves for these liabilities. The Company discusses its significant legal proceedings below, including ongoing proceedings and those that impacted the Company’s results of operations for the periods presented. Litigation Relating to Continuing Operations Securities Class Action. On September 28, 2020, the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System brought a securities lawsuit against the Company and certain of its officers in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of a putative class of shareholders (Plaintiffs) who purchased Company stock between April 3, 2017, and October 28, 2019 (Class Period), for alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder (Securities Class Action). Plaintiffs allege that defendants made false or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose certain adverse facts pertaining to safety practices at the Company’s North Goonyella Mine and that, after a September 28, 2018 fire at the mine, made false or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose certain adverse facts pertaining to the feasibility of the Company’s plan to restart the mine after the fire. The Company believes the lawsuit lacks merit and intends to vigorously defend against the allegations. On January 12, 2021, the Court appointed Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund as lead plaintiff. On January 25, 2021, the Court entered a scheduling order for this matter. Plaintiffs must file their amended complaint by March 19, 2021. The defendants must file their motion to dismiss by June 7, 2021. Additional briefings at this phase of litigation should be completed by the end of August 2021. Derivative Actions. On December 22, 2020, a plaintiff, putatively on behalf of the Company, brought a shareholder derivative lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware against certain directors and a former officer of the Company, as defendants. The Company was also named as a nominal defendant. Plaintiff did not make a demand on the Company’s board before instituting the lawsuit, and alleges such demand would have been futile. In the complaint, Plaintiff alleges that defendants allegedly failed to disclose adverse facts relating to the safety practices at the Company’s North Goonyella mine, thereby leading to a September 28, 2018 fire, and allegedly failed to disclose adverse facts pertaining to the feasibility of reopening the mine. The derivative complaint alleges (i) contribution against certain current and former officers for securities fraud based on the Securities Class Action, and against all defendants, (ii) breach of fiduciary duties, (iii) waste of corporate assets for causing the Company to incur legal liability, and (iv) unjust enrichment. On February 10, 2021, a second plaintiff, putatively on behalf of the Company, filed a similar shareholder derivative lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware against the directors, two current officers and a former officer of the Company, as defendants. The Company was named as a nominal defendant. This suit makes claims similar to those made in the Phelps matter, but asserts a claim for alleged misstatements in a proxy statement under Section 14(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. The Company believes both lawsuits lack merit and intends to vigorously defend against the allegations. Other At times, the Company becomes a party to other disputes, including those related to contract miner performance, claims, lawsuits, arbitration proceedings, regulatory investigations and administrative procedures in the ordinary course of business in the U.S., Australia and other countries where the Company does business. Based on current information, the Company believes that such other pending or threatened proceedings are likely to be resolved without a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. The Company reassesses the probability and estimability of contingent losses as new information becomes available.

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