A Dark Vector Cognition product

Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

9K characters. Original on sec.gov ·

Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The company is subject to various legal proceedings, including, but not limited to, product liability, intellectual property, antitrust, commercial, property damage, personal injury, environmental and regulatory matters arising out of the normal course of its current businesses or legacy EID businesses unrelated to Corteva’s current businesses but allocated to Corteva as part of the Separation of Corteva from DowDuPont. Information regarding certain of these matters is set forth below and in Note 18 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Litigation related to Corteva’s current businesses

Canadian Competition Bureau Formal Inquiry

On January 30, 2020, the Canadian Competition Bureau (the “Bureau”) filed a court order for the company to produce records and information as part of a formal inquiry under civil sections of Canada’s competition laws. The inquiry is in response to allegations by the Farmers Business Network ("FBN") that Corteva and other seeds and crop protection manufacturers and wholesalers unilaterally or in coordination refused, restricted and/or impaired supply of products to FBN in western Canada. This inquiry follows an informal request for information from the Bureau pursuant to which the company voluntarily provided documents and engaged in discussions with the Bureau outlining how its conduct was and continues to be compliant with Canadian competition laws. Corteva continues to cooperate with the Bureau’s inquiries, but believes the likelihood of material liability is remote.

Litigation related to legacy EID businesses unrelated to Corteva’s current businesses

As discussed below and in Note 18 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the Consolidated Financial Statements, certain of the environmental proceedings and litigation allocated to Corteva as part of the Separation from DuPont relate to the legacy EID businesses, including their use of PFOA, which, for purposes of this report, means collectively perfluorooctanoic acid and its salts, including the ammonium salt and does not distinguish between the two forms, and PFAS, which means per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, including PFOA, PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid), GenX and other perfluorinated chemicals and compounds ("PFCs"). While it is reasonably possible that the company could incur liabilities related to these actions, any such liabilities are not expected to be material.

Pursuant to the Separation Agreements, the company is entitled to indemnification for certain liabilities related to legacy EID businesses. On May 13, 2019, Chemours filed a complaint in the Delaware Court of Chancery against DuPont, Corteva, and EID alleging, among other things, that the litigation and environmental liabilities allocated to Chemours under the Chemours Separation Agreement were underestimated and asking that the Court either limit the amount of Chemours’ indemnification obligations or, alternatively, order the return of the $3.91 billion dividend Chemours paid to EID prior to its separation. Further information with respect to this proceeding is set forth in Note 18 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The company believes the probability of liability with respect to Chemours' suit to be remote.

Environmental Proceedings

The company believes it is remote that the following matters will have a material impact on its financial position, liquidity or results of operations. The descriptions below are included per Item 103(5)(c) of Regulation S-K of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Related to Corteva’s current businesses

La Porte Plant, La Porte, Texas - Crop Protection - Release Incident Investigations

On November 15, 2014, there was a release of methyl mercaptan at EID's La Porte, Texas, facility. The release occurred at the site’s crop protection unit resulting in four employee fatalities inside the unit. The Chemical Safety Board (“CSB”) issued its final report on June 18, 2019, which included recommendations related to the emergency response program at La Porte. Corteva responded to the CSB on September 30, 2019 outlining the actions it has taken to date to address the recommendations for the site and providing its plan to address the CSB’s remaining recommendations. Corteva continues to cooperate with the ongoing criminal U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") and the Department of Justice ("DOJ") investigations. These investigations could result in sanctions and criminal penalties against Corteva.

La Porte Plant, La Porte, Texas - EPA Multimedia Inspection

The EPA conducted a multimedia inspection at the La Porte facility in January 2008. EID, the EPA and the DOJ began discussions in Fall 2011 relating to the management of certain materials in the facility's waste water treatment system, hazardous waste management, flare and air emissions. These discussions continue.

Part I

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Related to legacy EID businesses unrelated to Corteva’s current businesses

Sabine Plant, Orange, Texas - EPA Multimedia Inspection

In June 2012, EID began discussions with the EPA and the DOJ related to a multimedia inspection that the EPA conducted at the Sabine facility in March 2009 and December 2015. The discussions involve the management of materials in the facility's waste water treatment system, hazardous waste management, flare and air emissions, including leak detection and repair. These discussions continue. Under the Separation Agreement, Corteva and DuPont will share any future liabilities proportionally on the basis of 29% and 71%, respectively.

Divested Neoprene Facility, La Place, Louisiana - EPA Compliance Inspection

In 2016, the EPA conducted a focused compliance investigation at the Denka Performance Elastomer LLC (“Denka”) neoprene manufacturing facility in La Place, Louisiana. EID sold the neoprene business, including this manufacturing facility, to Denka in the fourth quarter of 2015. In the spring of 2017, the EPA, the DOJ, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, EID and Denka began discussions relating to the inspection conclusions and allegations of noncompliance arising under the Clean Air Act, including leak detection and repair. These discussions, which include potential settlement options, continue. Under the Separation Agreement, DuPont is defending and indemnifying the company in this matter.

New Jersey Directive PFAS

On March 25, 2019, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”) issued a Statewide PFAS Directive to a number of companies, including Chemours, DuPont, and EID. The Directive seeks information relating to the use and environmental release of PFAS and PFAS-replacement chemicals at and from two former EID sites in New Jersey, Chambers Works and Parlin, and a funding source for costs related to the NJDEP’s investigation of PFAS issues and PFAS testing and remediation.

Chemours has agreed, with reservations, to defend and indemnify EID in this matter.

New Jersey Directive Pompton Lakes

On March 27, 2019, the NJDEP issued to Chemours and EID a Natural Resource Damages Directive relating to chemical contamination (non-PFAS) at and around EID’s former Pompton Lakes facility in New Jersey. The Directive alleges that this contamination has harmed the natural resources of New Jersey. It seeks $125,000 as reimbursement for the cost of preparing a natural resource damages assessment, which the State will use to determine the extent of such damage and the amount it expects to seek to restore the affected natural resources to their pre-damage state.

Chemours has agreed, with reservations, to defend and indemnify EID in this matter.

Natural Resource Damage Cases

Since May 2017, a number of municipal water districts and state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against EID, Corteva, Chemours, 3M, and others, claiming contamination of public water systems by PFCs, including but not limited to PFOA. These actions are currently pending in Alabama, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Vermont, New York, Ohio, Michigan and New Jersey with the municipalities and states seeking economic impact damages for alleged harm to natural resources, punitive damages, present and future costs to cleanup PFOA contamination and the abatement of alleged nuisance with filtration systems. Chemours has accepted the defense and indemnification of EID in these cases subject to a reservation of rights as to product scope and has declined defense and indemnity to Corteva. Furthermore, Chemours declined to defend certain state law and fraudulent conveyance claims.

Previous: Item 2. PROPERTIES · Next: Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES