

NOTE 8:	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments. The Company leases railcars and other assets under various operating leases. For railcar leases, the Company is generally required to pay all service costs associated with the railcars. Rental payments include minimum rentals plus contingent amounts based on mileage. Rental expenses under operating leases with terms longer than one month were $2,372, $2,561, and $2,283 for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively.

The Company's future minimum rental payments are $3,677; $1,850; $2,182; $1,326; and $942 for the years ending December 31, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

Contingencies. There are various legal and regulatory proceedings involving the Company and its subsidiaries. The Company accrues estimated costs for a contingency when management believes that a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated.

A chemical release occurred at the Company's Atchison facility on October 21, 2016, which resulted in emissions venting into the air. The Company reported the event to the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"), the Occupational, Safety, and Health Administration ("OSHA"), and to Kansas and local authorities on that date, and is cooperating fully to investigate and ensure that all appropriate response actions are taken. The Company has also engaged outside experts to assist the investigation and response. The Company believes it is probable that a fine or penalty may be imposed by regulatory authorities, but it is currently unable to reasonably estimate the amount thereof since some investigations are not complete and could take several months up to a few years to complete. Private plaintiffs have initiated, and additional private plaintiffs may initiate, legal proceedings for damages resulting from the emission, but the Company is currently unable to reasonably estimate the amount of any such damages that might result. The Company's insurance is expected to provide coverage of any damages to private plaintiffs, subject to a deductible of $250, but certain regulatory fines or penalties may not be covered and there can be no assurance to the amount or timing of possible insurance recoveries if ultimately claimed by the Company. There was no significant damage to the Company's Atchison plant as a result of this incident. No other MGP facilities, including the distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, were affected by this incident.

OSHA completed its investigation and, on April 19, 2017, issued its penalty to the Company in the amount of $138. Management settled this assessment with OSHA in full for $75, which was paid on May 16, 2017. A portion, or all, of the penalty amount may be covered by insurance.

The EPA informed the Company on August 1, 2017, that it intends to seek civil penalties of approximately $250 in connection with its investigation, while offering the Company the opportunity to settle the matter prior to the EPA proceeding with a formal enforcement action. The Company is seeking a negotiated settlement with the EPA, but negotiations have paused pending resolution of the EPA's criminal investigation. Since the Company expects a negotiated resolution of the EPA civil case and EPA-proposed civil penalties are not material to the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company has not included an accrual in its results. A portion, or all, of the settled penalty amount may be covered by insurance.