Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
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Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
We have included information about legal and environmental proceedings in Note 23 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. That information is incorporated herein by reference.
We are also subject to the following legal and environmental proceedings in addition to those described in Note 23 of our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K:
Countervailing Duty Orders. In April 2021, the U.S. Department of Commerce (“DOC”) issued countervailing duty (“CVD”) orders on imports of phosphate fertilizers from Morocco and Russia, in response to petitions filed by Mosaic. The purpose of the petitions was to remedy the injury to the U.S. phosphate fertilizer industry caused by imports that benefit from unfair foreign subsidies, and thereby restore fair competition. CVD orders normally stay in place for at least five years, with possible extensions. Moroccan and Russian producers have initiated actions at the U.S. Court of International Trade (“CIT”) seeking to overturn the orders. Mosaic has also made claims contesting certain aspects of DOC’s final determinations that, we believe, failed to capture the full extent of Moroccan and Russian subsidies. These litigation challenges remain underway. Most recently, in July and September 2023, the CIT issued three remand rulings – one addressing DOC’s determination in the CVD investigation of phosphate fertilizers from Russia, one addressing DOC’s determination in the CVD investigation of phosphate fertilizers from Morocco, and one addressing the U.S. International Trade Commission’s determination in
antidumping and countervailing duty investigations of phosphate fertilizers from Russia and Morocco – instructing the agencies to reconsider certain aspects of the rulings that were the basis for issuing the CVD orders.
When a CVD order is in place, DOC normally conducts annual administrative reviews, which establish a final CVD assessment rate for past imports during a defined period, and a CVD cash deposit rate for future imports. In November 2023, DOC announced the final results of the first administrative reviews for the CVD orders on phosphate fertilizers for Russia and Morocco, covering the period November 30, 2020 to December 31, 2021. DOC calculated new subsidy rates of 2.12% for Moroccan producer OCP and 28.50% for Russian producer PhosAgro. These determinations are subject to appeal to the CIT. DOC is also conducting administrative reviews covering the period January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. The applicable final CVD assessment rates and cash deposit rates for imports of phosphate fertilizer from Morocco and Russia could change as a result of these various proceedings and potential associated appeals, whether in federal courts or at the World Trade Organization.
The South Pasture Mine – Hardee County Enforcement Action. On January 8, 2020, Hardee County issued a Notice of Violation (“NOV”) for Mosaic’s delay in meeting the required reclamation schedule for two designated reclamation units within the South Pasture Mine. The delay resulted from idling the South Pasture beneficiation plant in 2018; because the plant was idled, no sand was available for reclamation activities.
Acting on Mosaic’s “Application for Waiver and Reclamation Schedule Extension,” in May 2020, the Hardee County Board of County Commissioners approved: (1) a waiver of the applicable reclamation deadlines of the South Pasture Development Order and Land Development Code; (2) an alternative reclamation schedule; and (3) a settlement agreement that resolved the NOV. Mosaic timely paid the civil penalty required by the settlement agreement and continues to implement the approved alternative reclamation schedule, as required. Monitoring programs are in place to ensure continued compliance with the Waiver and settlement agreement.
Cruz Litigation. On August 27, 2020, a putative class action complaint was filed in the Circuit Court of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County, Florida against our wholly-owned subsidiary, Mosaic Global Operations Inc., and two unrelated co-defendants. The complaint alleges claims related to elevated levels of radiation at two manufactured housing communities located on reclaimed mining land in Mulberry, Polk County, Florida, allegedly due to phosphate mining and reclamation activities occurring decades ago. Plaintiffs seek monetary damages, including punitive damages, injunctive relief requiring remediation of their properties, and a medical monitoring program funded by the defendants. On October 14, 2021, the court substantially granted a motion to dismiss we filed late in 2020, with leave for the plaintiffs to amend their complaint.
On November 3, 2021, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint and in response, Mosaic filed a motion to dismiss that complaint with prejudice on November 15, 2021. On December 23, 2021, plaintiffs opposed that motion and Mosaic replied to that opposition on January 26, 2022. On April 6, 2022, the court heard argument on the motions to dismiss filed by Mosaic and each other co-defendant. In late March 2023, the court denied Mosaic's motions to dismiss, and discovery now is underway.
We intend to continue to vigorously defend this matter.
Faustina Plant Risk Management Plan. On September 14, 2022, EPA Region 6 issued a Notice of Potential Violation and Opportunity to Confer (“NOPVOC”) regarding compliance of our Faustina Plant with Section 112(r) of the Federal Clean Air Act and 40 C.F.R. Part 68, commonly known as the Risk Management Plan Rule (“RMP Rule”). The NOPVOC relates to a compliance evaluation inspection conducted by the EPA at the Faustina Plant from February 22-25, 2022 and alleges violations of the RMP Rule. We conferred with the EPA regarding the allegations in the NOPVOC on November 30, 2022. We negotiated a Consent Agreement and Final Order (“CAFO”) with the agency that was filed on January 30, 2024. The CAFO requires a penalty payment of $217,085 and the completion of two supplemental environmental projects: (1) installation of ammonia monitors and monitoring at the plant for a period of two years and (2) donation of two generators to the St. James Parish Department of Emergency Preparedness.
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