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 DuPont. Information regarding certain of these matters is set forth below and in Note 18 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Even when the Company believes liabilities are not expected to be material or the probability of loss or of an adverse unappealable final judgment is remote, the Company may consider settlement of these matters, and may enter into settlement agreements, if it believes settlement is in the best interest of the Company, including avoidance of future distraction and litigation defense cost, and its shareholders.

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.

Federal Trade Commission Investigation

On May 26, 2020, Corteva received a subpoena from the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) directing it to submit documents pertaining to its crop protection products generally, as well as business plans, rebate programs, offers, pricing and marketing materials specifically related to its acetochlor, oxamyl and rimsulfuron and other related products in order to determine whether Corteva engaged in unfair methods of competition through anticompetitive conduct. Corteva has cooperated with the FTC’s subpoena, and continues to believe 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"). Management believes that it is reasonably possible that EID could incur liabilities related to PFOA in excess of amounts accrued. However, any such losses are not estimable at this time due to various reasons, including, among others, that the underlying matters are in their early stages and have significant factual issues to be resolved.

On May 13, 2019, Chemours filed suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery against DuPont, EID, and Corteva, seeking, among other things, to limit its responsibility for the litigation and environmental liabilities allocated to and assumed by Chemours under the Chemours Separation Agreement (the “Delaware Litigation”). On March 30, 2020, the Court of Chancery granted a motion to dismiss. On December 15, 2020, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the Court of Chancery. Meanwhile, a confidential arbitration process regarding the same and other claims has proceeded (the “Pending Arbitration”). On January 22, 2021, Chemours, DuPont, Corteva and EID entered into a binding memorandum of understanding containing a settlement to resolve legal disputes originating from the Delaware Litigation and Pending Arbitration, and to establish a cost sharing arrangement and escrow account to be used to support and manage potential future legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) liabilities arising out of pre-July 1, 2015 conduct (the “MOU”). See Note 18 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

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 matters below involve the potential for $1 million or more in monetary fines and are included per Item 103(3)(c)(iii) of Regulation S-K of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Part I

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

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. After the conclusion of the CSB investigation, criminal U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") and the Department of Justice ("DOJ") investigations related to the incident continued. On January 8, 2021, EID and the facility's former unit operations leader were indicted by the DOJ on two felony and one misdemeanor charges of violations of the Clean Air Act related to the release. The maximum statutory penalties per charge are $500,000, or twice the gross gain or loss derived from the incident, as well as up to three years of probation and related ongoing reporting obligations. Corteva cooperated fully with the government’s investigation and will vigorously defend against these charges.

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 wastewater 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 several 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.

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.

Natural Resource Damage Cases

Since May 2017, several 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 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. Further information with respect to these proceedings is set forth under "Other PFOA Matters" in Note 18 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the Consolidated Financial Statements.