Item 3. Legal Proceedings
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Item 3. Legal Proceedings
We are the subject of, or a party to, a number of pending or threatened legal actions, contingencies and commitments involving a variety of matters, including laws and regulations relating to the environment. While it is possible that an adverse result in one or more of the lawsuits or proceedings in which we are a defendant could be material to us, based upon current information and our experience as a defendant in other matters, we believe that these lawsuits and proceedings, individually or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Item 103 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC requires disclosure of certain environmental matters when a governmental authority is a party to the proceedings and such proceedings involve potential monetary sanctions, unless we reasonably believe that the matter will result in no monetary sanctions, or in monetary sanctions, exclusive of interest and costs, of less than a specified threshold. We use a threshold of $1 million for this purpose.
Climate Change Litigation
Governmental and other entities in various states have filed climate-related lawsuits against a number of energy companies, including MPC. The lawsuits allege damages as a result of climate change and the plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages and abatement under various tort theories. Similar lawsuits may be filed in other jurisdictions. The names of the courts in which the proceedings are pending and the dates instituted are as follows:
| Plaintiff | Date Instituted | Name of Court(s) where pending | ||||||||||||
| County of San Mateo, California | July 17, 2017 | U.S. District Court (Northern District of California); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | ||||||||||||
| County of Marin, California | July 17, 2017 | U.S. District Court (Northern District of California); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | ||||||||||||
| City of Imperial Beach, California | July 17, 2017 | U.S. District Court (Northern District of California); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | ||||||||||||
| County of Santa Cruz, California | December 20, 2017 | U.S. District Court (Northern District of California); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | ||||||||||||
| City of Santa Cruz, California | December 20, 2017 | U.S. District Court (Northern District of California); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | ||||||||||||
| City of Richmond, California | January 22, 2018 | U.S. District Court (Northern District of California); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | ||||||||||||
| State of Rhode Island | July 2, 2018 | Superior Court of Providence County; U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit | ||||||||||||
| Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, Maryland | July 20, 2018 | Circuit Court of Baltimore City; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | ||||||||||||
| Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Inc. | November 14, 2018 | U.S. District Court (Northern District of California) | ||||||||||||
| City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii | March 9, 2020 | U.S. District Court (District of Hawaii); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; Circuit Court of the First Circuit (State of Hawaii); Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals | ||||||||||||
| City of Charleston, South Carolina | September 9, 2020 | U.S. District Court (District of South Carolina) | ||||||||||||
| State of Delaware | September 10, 2020 | U.S. District Court (District of Delaware); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit | ||||||||||||
| County of Maui, Hawaii | October 12, 2020 | U.S. District Court (District of Hawaii); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; Circuit Court of the First Circuit (State of Hawaii) | ||||||||||||
| City of Annapolis, Maryland | February 22, 2021 | U.S. District Court (District of Maryland); US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | ||||||||||||
| Anne Arundel County, Maryland | April 26, 2021 | U.S. District Court (District of Maryland); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit |
Dakota Access Pipeline
MPLX holds a 9.19 percent indirect interest in a joint venture (“Dakota Access”) that owns and operates the Dakota Access Pipeline and Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline projects, collectively referred to as the Bakken Pipeline system or DAPL. In 2020, the D.D.C. ordered the Army Corps, which granted permits and an easement for the Bakken Pipeline system, to prepare an environmental impact statement (“EIS”) relating to an easement under Lake Oahe in North Dakota. The D.D.C. later vacated the easement. The Army Corps expects to release a draft EIS in 2023.
In May 2021, the D.D.C. denied a renewed request for an injunction to shut down the pipeline while the EIS is being prepared. In June 2021, the D.D.C. issued an order dismissing without prejudice the tribes’ claims against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The litigation could be reopened or new litigation challenging the EIS, once completed, could be filed. The pipeline remains operational.
MPLX has entered into a Contingent Equity Contribution Agreement whereby it, along with the other joint venture owners in the Bakken Pipeline system, has agreed to make equity contributions to the joint venture upon certain events occurring to allow the entities that own and operate the Bakken Pipeline system to satisfy their senior note payment obligations. The senior notes were issued to repay amounts owed by the pipeline companies to fund the cost of construction of the Bakken Pipeline system. If the pipeline were temporarily shut down, MPLX would have to contribute its 9.19 percent pro rata share of funds required to pay interest accruing on the notes and any portion of the principal that matures while the pipeline is shutdown. MPLX also expects to contribute its 9.19 percent pro rata share of any costs to remediate any deficiencies to reinstate the permit and/or return the pipeline into operation. If the vacatur of the easement permit results in a permanent shutdown of the pipeline, MPLX would have to contribute its 9.19 percent pro rata share of the cost to redeem the bonds (including the 1% redemption premium required pursuant to the indenture governing the notes) and any accrued and unpaid interest. As of December 31, 2022, our maximum potential undiscounted payments under the Contingent Equity Contribution Agreement were approximately $170 million.
Tesoro High Plains Pipeline
In July 2020, Tesoro High Plains Pipeline Company, LLC (“THPP”), a subsidiary of MPLX, received a Notification of Trespass Determination from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (“BIA”) relating to a portion of the Tesoro High Plains Pipeline that crosses the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. The notification demanded the immediate cessation of pipeline operations and assessed trespass damages of approximately $187 million. After subsequent appeal proceedings and in compliance with a new order issued by the BIA, in December 2020, THPP paid approximately $4 million in assessed trespass damages and ceased use of the portion of the pipeline that crosses the property at issue. In March 2021, the BIA issued an order purporting to vacate the BIA's prior orders related to THPP’s alleged trespass and direct the Regional Director of the BIA to reconsider the issue of THPP’s alleged trespass and issue a new order. In April 2021, THPP filed a lawsuit in the District of North Dakota against the United States of America, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the BIA (together, the “U.S. Government Parties”) challenging the March 2021 order purporting to vacate all previous orders related to THPP’s alleged trespass. On February 8, 2022, the U.S. Government Parties filed their answer and counterclaims to THPP’s suit claiming THPP is in continued trespass with respect to the pipeline and seek disgorgement of pipeline profits from June 1, 2013 to present, removal of the pipeline and remediation. We intend to vigorously defend ourselves against these counterclaims.
Martinez Refinery
We have resolved 99 NOVs received from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (“BAAQMD”) through settlement with the BAAQMD that includes payment of a cash penalty of approximately $1.5 million. The NOVs were issued from 2011 to 2018 and allege violations of air quality regulations and the idled Martinez refinery’s air permit.
On July 18, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) lodged a complaint on behalf of EPA and a Consent Decree in the U.S. Court for the Western District of Texas. Among other things, the Consent Decree required that the Martinez refinery meet certain annual emission limits for NOx by July 1, 2018. In 2018, TRMC informed EPA that it would need additional time to satisfy requirements of the Consent Decree. In 2019, TRMC and the United States entered into an agreement to amend the Consent Decree to resolve these issues. In light of the actions to strategically reposition the Martinez refinery to a renewable diesel facility, we are renegotiating the Consent Decree modification. Subject to final approval by the court, we expect that, contingent on TRMC completing the conversion of the Martinez refinery to renewable diesel production, the renegotiated Consent Decree modification will no longer require the installation of a Selective Catalytic Reduction system to control NOx emissions from the now-idled fluid catalytic cracking unit, but will result in an increased civil penalty.
Gathering and Processing
MPLX has been negotiating with the EPA with respect to multiple alleged violations of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants by the Chapita, Coyote Wash, Island, River Bend and Wonsits Valley Compressor Stations in Utah as well as the Robinson Lake Gas Plant in North Dakota. MPLX is in the process of finalizing a settlement with the EPA pursuant to which MPLX expects to pay a cash penalty of $2 million, incorporate additional remedial measures, mitigate excess emissions associated with events and enter into a consent decree covering MPLX gas plants and compressor stations located in Utah, North Dakota and Wyoming. We expect the settlement to be finalized later in 2023.
Edwardsville Incident
In March 2022, the State of Illinois brought an action in Madison County Circuit Court in Illinois against Marathon Pipe Line LLC, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of MPLX, asserting various violations and demanding a permanent injunction and civil penalties in connection with a March 2022 release of crude oil on the Wood River to Patoka 22" line near Edwardsville, Illinois. We are negotiating a settlement of the allegations. We cannot currently estimate the amount of any civil penalty or the timing of the resolution of this matter but do not believe any civil penalty will have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
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