76 / Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. Form 10-K 2021 The Company has joined with approximately 100 other PRPs, including the RI/FS performing parties, in a voluntary process to establish an allocation of costs at the Site, including the costs incurred in the RI/FS, ongoing remedial design costs, and future remedial action costs. The Company expects the next major stage of the allocation process to proceed in parallel with the remedial design process. In addition to the remedial action process overseen by the EPA, the Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council (“Trustee Council”) is assessing natural resource damages at the Site. In 2008, the Trustee Council invited the Company and other PRPs to participate in funding and implementing the Natural Resource Injury Assessment for the Site. The Company and other participating PRPs ultimately agreed to fund the first two phases of the three-phase assessment, which included the development of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan (“AP”) and implementation of the AP to develop information sufficient to facilitate early settlements between the Trustee Council and Phase 2 participants and the identification of restoration projects to be funded by the settlements. In late May 2018, the Trustee Council published notice of its intent to proceed with Phase 3, which will involve the full implementation of the AP and the final injury and damage determination. The Company is proceeding with the process established by the Trustee Council regarding early settlements under Phase 2. The Company has established an environmental reserve of approximately $2.3 million for this alleged natural resource damages liability as it continues to work with the Trustee Council to finalize an early settlement. The Company has insurance policies that it believes will provide reimbursement for costs related to this matter. As of August 31, 2021, the Company had an insurance receivable in the same amount as the environmental reserve. See “Other Assets” in Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for further discussion of receivables from insurers. On January 30, 2017, one of the Trustees, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, which withdrew from the council in 2009, filed a suit against approximately 30 parties, including the Company, seeking reimbursement of certain past and future response costs in connection with remedial action at the Site and recovery of assessment costs related to natural resources damages from releases at and from the Site to the Multnomah Channel and the Lower Columbia River. The parties filed various motions to dismiss or stay this suit, and in August 2019, the court issued an order denying the motions to dismiss and staying the action. The Company intends to defend against the claims in this suit and does not have sufficient information to determine the likelihood of a loss in this matter or to estimate the amount of damages being sought or the amount of such damages that could be allocated to the Company. The Company’s environmental liabilities as of August 31, 2021 and 2020 included $6 million and $4 million, respectively, relating to the Portland Harbor matters described above. Because the final remedial actions have not yet been designed and there has not been a determination of the allocation among the PRPs of costs of the investigations or remedial action costs, the Company believes it is not possible to reasonably estimate the amount or range of costs which it is likely to or which it is reasonably possible that it will incur in connection with the Site, although such costs could be material to the Company’s financial position, results of operations, cash flows, and liquidity. Among the facts being evaluated are detailed information on the history of ownership of and the nature of the uses of and activities and operations performed on each property within the Site, which are factors that will play a substantial role in determining the allocation of investigation and remedy costs among the PRPs. The Company has insurance policies that it believes will provide reimbursement for costs it incurs for defense, remedial design, remedial action, and mitigation for or settlement of natural resource damages claims in connection with the Site. Most of these policies jointly insure the Company and MMGL, as the successor to a former subsidiary of the Company. The Company and MMGL have negotiated the settlement with certain insurers of claims against them related to the Site, continue to seek settlements with other insurers, and formed a Qualified Settlement Fund (“QSF”) which became operative in fiscal 2020 to hold such settlement amounts until funds are needed to pay or reimburse costs incurred by the Company and MMGL in connection with the Site. These insurance policies and the funds in the QSF may not cover all of the costs which the Company may incur. The QSF is an unconsolidated variable interest entity (“VIE”) with no primary beneficiary. Two parties unrelated to each other, one appointed by the Company and one appointed by MMGL, share equally the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact its economic performance. The Company’s appointee to co-manage the VIE is an executive officer of the Company. Neither MMGL nor its appointee to co-manage the VIE is a related party of the Company for the purpose of the primary beneficiary assessment or otherwise. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is separately providing oversight of investigations and source control activities by the Company at various sites adjacent to Portland Harbor that are focused on controlling any current “uplands” releases of contaminants into the Willamette River. No liabilities have been established in connection with these investigations beyond the costs of investigation and design, which costs have not been material to date, because the extent of contamination, required source control work, and the Company’s responsibility for the contamination and source control work, in each case if any, have not yet been determined. In addition, pursuant to its insurance policies, the Company is being reimbursed for the costs it incurs for required source control evaluation and remediation work.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTIzOTM0