COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Legal Proceedings

In the ordinary course of our business and as the result of the extensive governmental regulation of the solid waste industry, we are subject to various judicial and administrative proceedings involving state and local agencies. In these proceedings, an agency may seek to impose fines or to revoke or deny renewal of an operating permit held by us. From time to time, we may also be subject to actions brought by special interest or other groups, adjacent landowners or residents in connection with the permitting and licensing of landfills and transfer stations, or allegations of environmental damage or violations of the permits and licenses pursuant to which we operate. In addition, we may be named defendants in various claims and suits pending for alleged damages to persons and property, alleged violations of certain laws and alleged liabilities arising out of matters occurring during the ordinary operation of a waste management business. The plaintiffs in some actions seek unspecified damages or injunctive relief, or both. These actions fall within various procedural stages at any point in time, and some are covered in part by insurance.

In accordance with FASB ASC 450 - Contingencies, we accrue for legal proceedings, inclusive of legal costs, when losses become probable and reasonably estimable. We have recorded an aggregate accrual of $6,280 relating to our outstanding legal proceedings as of September 30, 2023. As of the end of each applicable reporting period, we review each of our legal proceedings to determine whether it is probable, reasonably possible or remote that a liability has been incurred and, if it is at least reasonably possible, whether a range of loss can be reasonably estimated under the provisions of FASB ASC 450-20. In instances where we determine that a loss is probable and we can reasonably estimate a range of loss we may incur with respect to such a matter, we record an accrual for the amount within the range that constitutes our best estimate of the possible loss. If we are able to reasonably estimate a range, but no amount within the range appears to be a better estimate than any other, we record an accrual in the amount that is the low end of such range. When a loss is reasonably possible, but not probable, we will not record an accrual, but we will disclose our estimate of the possible range of loss where such estimate can be made in accordance with FASB ASC 450-20. We disclose outstanding matters that we believe could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. See Note 11, Other Items and Charges for disclosure regarding a legal settlement charge recorded in the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

North Country Environmental Services Expansion Permit

The permit for expansion of the Bethlehem, New Hampshire landfill of our subsidiary, North Country Environmental Services, Inc. (“NCES”), known as “Stage VI”, issued in October 2020 (“Permit”), was appealed by the Conservation Law Foundation (“CLF”) to the New Hampshire Waste Management Council (“Council”) on November 9, 2020 on the grounds it failed to meet the public benefit criteria. Following a hearing on the merits during which the Council found that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (“DES”) had reasonably measured and acted lawfully in determining a capacity need for Stage VI, the hearing officer presiding over the proceedings issued an Order on May 11, 2022, without further hearing, determining instead that DES had acted unlawfully in reaching these conclusions (“Hearing Officer’s Order”), and remanded the Permit to DES on this determination. On December 5, 2022, DES and NCES both separately sought review of the Hearing Officer’s Order on appeal to the New Hampshire Supreme Court (“Supreme Court”). The parties presented oral arguments to the Supreme Court on October 3, 2023. A decision has not yet been issued. On December 14, 2022, NCES filed an action in Merrimack Superior Court (“Superior Court”) seeking to invalidate the Hearing Officer’s Order as having been adopted in violation of New Hampshire’s statute governing access to public records and meetings in that the Council did not hold a public meeting to deliberate on the Hearing Officer’s Order. The Superior Court has since dismissed that proceeding, however, NCES

appealed that decision to the Supreme Court on April 18, 2023. NCES’s brief on appeal was filed with the Supreme Court on August 11, 2023. On September 26, 2023, CLF filed a Motion to Intervene as well as a memorandum of law asking the Supreme Court to uphold the Superior Court’s dismissal, to which NCES filed an Objection in response on October 23, 2023. The Council submitted its brief on October 25, 2023; NCES’s reply is due November 4, 2023. CLF’s Motion to Intervene remains pending. In the event that the Supreme Court affirms the Hearing Officer’s Order on appeal, the Permit would remand to DES, where NCES would take steps in an effort to avoid or mitigate an adverse determination. If the Stage VI permit is not ultimately approved, NCES capacity could be curtailed.

On September 20, 2022, NCES, which has since withdrawn as a party, and our subsidiary, Granite State Landfill, LLC, filed a Petition for Declaratory Judgment ("Petition") in the Superior Court asking the Superior Court for a determination of the meaning and constitutionality of New Hampshire’s public benefit requirement, the same statute at issue in the Hearing Officer’s Order. CLF was granted intervention in the Petition proceeding on June 8, 2023. This matter remains pending before the Superior Court.

On April 12, 2023, DES issued approval of construction plans for Stage VI, Phase II to NCES (“DES Approval”). CLF appealed the DES Approval to the Council on May 11, 2023, on the grounds that it failed to meet the public benefit criteria, and that the DES Approval conflicts with the Hearing Officer’s May 11, 2022 Order determining that DES had acted unlawfully in issuing the Permit, and requested expedited review. The Council has denied the request for expedited review and this appeal remains pending before the Council.

NCES will continue to vigorously defend the Permit through the appeals to the Supreme Court, will litigate the Petition before the Superior Court, and will defend the DES Approval on appeal before the Council.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Restricted cash is included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. Beginning-of-period and end-of-period cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash s presented in the statement of cash flows is reconciled as follows:


	September 30, 2023		December 31, 2022
Cash and cash equivalents	$	219,089	$	71,152
Restricted cash - non-current	2,730		—
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	221,819	$	71,152

Our restricted cash consists of cash proceeds from the issuance of the New York Bonds 2020R-2 included in restricted cash and assets that is restricted to finance or reimburse certain noncurrent asset costs associated with capital projects in the State of New York. See Note 7, Debt for disclosure regarding New York Bonds 2020R-2.

Environmental Remediation Liabilities

We are subject to liability for environmental damage, including personal injury and property damage, that our solid waste, recycling and power generation facilities may cause to neighboring property owners, particularly as the result of the contamination of drinking water sources or soil, possibly including damage resulting from conditions that existed before we acquired the facilities. We may also be subject to liability for similar claims arising from off-site environmental contamination caused by pollutants or hazardous substances if we or our predecessors arrange or arranged to transport, treat or dispose of those materials.

We accrue for costs associated with environmental remediation obligations when such costs become both probable and reasonably estimable. Determining the method and ultimate cost of remediation requires that a number of assumptions be made. There can sometimes be a range of reasonable estimates of the costs associated with remediation of a site. In these cases, we use the amount within the range that constitutes our best estimate. In the early stages of the remediation process, particular components of the overall liability may not be reasonably estimable; in this instance we use the components of the liability that can be reasonably estimated as a surrogate for the liability. It is reasonably possible that we will need to adjust the liabilities recorded for remediation to reflect the effects of new or additional information, to the extent such information impacts the costs, timing or duration of the required actions. Future changes in our estimates of the cost, timing or duration of the required actions could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We disclose outstanding environmental remediation matters that remain unsettled or are settled in the reporting period that we believe could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

We inflate the estimated costs in current dollars to the expected time of payment and discount the total cost to present value using a risk-free interest rate. The risk-free interest rates associated with our environmental remediation liabilities as of September 30, 2023 range between 1.5% and 4.1%. A summary of the changes to the aggregate environmental remediation liabilities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 follows:


	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023		2022
Beginning balance	$	6,335	$	5,887
Accretion expense	75		79
Obligations incurred (1)	—		759

Obligations settled (2)	(338)		(353)
Ending balance	6,072		6,372
Less: current portion	1,799		646
Long-term portion	$	4,273	$	5,726

(1)Associated with the investigation of potential remediation at an inactive waste disposal site that adjoins one of the landfills that we operate.

(2)May include amounts that are being processed through accounts payable as a part of our disbursement cycle.