9. Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Claims

The Company is subject to various investigations, claims and legal proceedings covering a wide range of matters that arise in the ordinary course of its business activities. The Company intends to continue to conduct business in such a manner as to avert any FDA action seeking to interrupt or suspend manufacturing or require any recall or modification of products.

The Company has recognized the costs and associated liabilities only for those investigations, claims and legal proceedings for which, in its view, it is probable that liabilities have been incurred and the related amounts are estimable. Based upon information currently available, management believes that existing accrued liabilities are sufficient.

On January 30, 2020, the Company filed a Citizen Participation Plan with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation under its Brownfield Cleanup Program. The plan was with respect to the Company’s property in Stuyvesant Falls, New York. The plan recognizes that the soil and groundwater at the Stuyvesant Falls facility is impacted by chemical compounds exceeding regulatory standards. The Company has applied to the Brownfield Cleanup Program. Pursuant to the plan, the Company will conduct, at its expense, investigation and remediation at the site with oversight by the Department of Environmental Conservation.

The Company’s best estimate of the expected cost to remediate the site is $1.1 million. This amount was recorded as an expense during fiscal 2020 and is reflected in other accrued liabilities and selling, general and administrative expenses in the Company’s financial statements. As of June 30, 2020, the Company has paid approximately $82,000 in remediation expenses which have been charged to the initial reserve.

Liability for future environmental expenditures


	2020		2019
Beginning Balance	$	—	$	—
Charges to income		1,119,155		—
Remedial and investigatory spending		82,155		—
Ending Balance	$	1,037,000	$	—

Reflected in the Balance sheet as:
Current, included in Other Liabilities	$	514,000	$	—
Long-term environmental		523,000		—
Total	$	1,037,000	$	—

Stuyvesant Falls Power Litigation. The Company has been involved in litigation with Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid (“Niagara”), which provides electrical power to the Company’s facility in Stuyvesant Falls, New York, and one other party. The Company maintained in its defense of the lawsuit that it is entitled to a certain amount of free electricity based on covenants running with the land which have been honored for more than a century. After the commencement of the litigation, Niagara began sending invoices to the Company for electricity used at the Company’s Stuyvesant Falls plant. Niagara’s attempts to collect such invoices were stopped in December 2010 by a temporary restraining order. Among other things, Niagara sought as damages the value of electricity received by the Company without charge. The total value of electricity at issue in the litigation was not known with certainty and Niagara alleged different amounts of damages. Niagara alleged in its Second Amended Verified Complaint, dated February 6, 2012, damages of approximately $469,000 in free electricity from May 2003 through May 2010. Niagara also alleged in its Motion For Summary Judgment, filed on March 14, 2014, damages of approximately $492,000 in free electricity from May 2010 through the date of the filing. In April 2015, Allied received an invoice for electrical power at the Stuyvesant Falls plant with an “Amount Due” balance of $696,000 as of March 31, 2015 without any description as to the period of time covered by the invoice.

The Company filed a Motion for Summary Judgment on March 14, 2014, seeking dismissal of Niagara’s claims and oral arguments on the motions were held on June 13, 2014. On October 1, 2014, the Court granted the Company’s motion, denied Niagara’s motion and ruled that the Company is entitled to receive electrical power pursuant to the power covenants. On October 26 and October 30, 2014, Niagara and the other party filed separate notices of appeal of the Court’s decision. On March 31, 2016 the Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, Third Department reversed the trial court decision and held that the free power covenants are no longer enforceable. The Company’s application for leave to appeal this ruling was dismissed as premature by the New York Court of Appeals on September 20, 2016. On May 26, 2017 the Company again moved for leave to appeal the March 31, 2016 decision. That motion was granted on October 7, 2017 by the New York State Court of Appeals. The Company filed its brief and record on January 26, 2018. Niagara and the other party to the lawsuit, Albany Engineering Corporation, filed their responses on July 16, 2018 and the Company filed its reply on August 14, 2018.

On February 20, 2019, the Company, Niagara and Albany entered into a Final Settlement Agreement pursuant to which the Company agreed, among other things, to cancel and forgo its rights to free power from either Niagara or Albany under the power covenants. The New York State Court of Appeals granted a request of all parties to withdraw the appeal on March 5, 2019 and all parties entered a Stipulation of Discontinuance on March 7, 2019 which discontinued the litigation. By separate agreement, Niagara paid the Company $750,000 as consideration for the Company’s agreements pursuant to the settlement. On March 15, 2019 the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York granted Niagara’s request to withdraw its pending appeal. The matter is now fully concluded.

Employment Contract

In March 2007, the Company entered into a three year employment contract with its chief executive officer. The contract is subject to automatic annual renewals after the initial term unless notification is given. The contract was amended and restated in December 2009 without extending its term. The contract includes termination without cause and change of control provisions, under which the chief executive officer is entitled to receive specified severance payments generally equal to two times ending annual salary if the Company terminates his employment without cause or he voluntarily terminates his employment with “good reason.” “Good Reason” generally includes changes in the scope of his duties or location of employment but also includes (i) the Company’s written election not to renew the Employment Agreement and (ii) certain voluntary resignations by the chief executive officer following a “Change of Control” as defined in the Agreement.