Item 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
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Item 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
(a) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act)) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective in (i) ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and (ii) ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
(b) Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. There have not been any changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the quarter ended September 30, 2021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
PART II—OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
West Fertilizer Co.
On April 17, 2013, there was a fire and explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. fertilizer storage and distribution facility in West, Texas. According to published reports, 15 people were killed and approximately 200 people were injured in the incident, and the fire and explosion damaged or destroyed a number of homes and buildings around the facility. Various subsidiaries of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (the CF Entities) were named as defendants along with other companies in lawsuits filed in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in the District Court of McLennan County, Texas by the City of West, individual residents of the County and other parties seeking recovery for damages allegedly sustained as a result of the explosion. The cases were consolidated for discovery and pretrial proceedings in the District Court of McLennan County under the caption “In re: West Explosion Cases.” The two-year statute of limitations expired on April 17, 2015. As of that date, over 400 plaintiffs had filed claims, including at least 9 entities, 325 individuals, and 80 insurance companies. Plaintiffs allege various theories of negligence, strict liability, and breach of warranty under Texas law. Although we do not own or operate the facility or directly sell our products to West Fertilizer Co., products that the CF Entities manufactured and sold to others were delivered to the facility and may have been stored at the West facility at the time of the incident.
The Court granted in part and denied in part the CF Entities’ Motions for Summary Judgment in August 2015. Nearly all of the cases, including all wrongful death and personal injury claims, have been resolved pursuant to confidential settlements that have been or we expect will be fully funded by insurance. The remaining subrogation and statutory indemnification claims total approximately $37 million, before prejudgment interest, and are in various stages of discovery and pre-trial proceedings. The remaining claims are expected to be set for trial in 2022. We believe we have strong legal and factual defenses and intend to continue defending the CF Entities vigorously in the remaining lawsuits. The Company cannot provide a range of reasonably possible loss due to the uncertain nature of this litigation, including uncertainties around the potential allocation of responsibility by a jury to other defendants or responsible third parties. The recognition of a potential loss in the future in the West Fertilizer Co. litigation could negatively affect our results in the period of recognition. However, based upon currently available information, we expect any potential loss to be fully indemnified by insurance and do not believe that this litigation will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS, INC.
ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS.
The following table sets forth share repurchases, on a trade date basis, for each of the three months of the quarter ended September 30, 2021.
| Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Period | Total number of shares (or units) purchased | Average price paid per share (or unit) (1) | Total number of shares (or units) purchased as part of publicly announced plans or programs**(2)** | Maximum number (or approximate dollar value) of shares (or units) that may yet be purchased under the plans or programs (in thousands)****(2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| July 1, 2021 - July 31, 2021 | 6,558 | (3) | $ | 52.40 | — | $ | 563,407 | ||||||||||||||||
| August 1, 2021 - August 31, 2021 | 23,363 | (4) | 47.07 | — | 563,407 | ||||||||||||||||||
| September 1, 2021 - September 30, 2021 | 1,068,979 | (5) | 46.80 | 1,067,879 | 513,429 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 1,098,900 | $ | 46.84 | 1,067,879 |
(1)Average price paid per share of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF Holdings) common stock repurchased under the 2019 Stock Repurchase Program, as defined below, is the execution price, excluding commissions paid to brokers.
(2)On February 13, 2019, we announced that our Board of Directors had authorized a new $1 billion share repurchase program through 2021 (the 2019 Share Repurchase Program). Under the 2019 Share Repurchase Program, we may repurchase CF Holdings common stock for a total expenditure of up to $1 billion through December 31, 2021. This program is discussed in Note 15—Stockholders’ Equity, in the notes to the unaudited consolidated financial statements included in Part I.
(3)Represents shares withheld to pay employee tax obligations upon the lapse of restrictions on restricted stock units and performance restricted stock units.
(4)Represents shares withheld to pay employee tax obligations and shares withheld to cover the price of shares upon the exercise of nonqualified stock options.
(5)Includes 1,100 shares withheld to pay employee tax obligations upon the lapse of restrictions on restricted stock units.
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