Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)]

Commitments and Contingencies

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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

 

9. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Hazardous Waste

 

In connection with our waste management services, the Company processes hazardous, non-hazardous, low-level radioactive and mixed (containing both hazardous and low-level radioactive) waste, which we transport to our own, or other, facilities for destruction or disposal. As a result of disposing of hazardous substances, in the event any cleanup is required at the disposal site, the Company could be a potentially responsible party for the costs of the cleanup notwithstanding any absence of fault on our part.

 

Legal Matters

 

In the normal course of conducting our business, the Company may be involved in various litigation. The Company is not a party to any litigation or governmental proceeding which our management believe could result in any judgments or fines against us that would have a material adverse effect on our financial position, liquidity, or results of future operations.

 

Michael O’Neill

 

On November 25, 2024, purported shareholder Michael O’Neill filed a complaint in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware against the Company and all current directors of the Company, asserting individual and class action claims for alleged breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. The case is styled Michael O’Neill v. Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 2024-1211-PAF.

 

 

The complaint purports to be brought by the named plaintiff individually and on behalf of all “similarly situated Perma-Fix stockholders.” According to the complaint, defendants allegedly made materially false and misleading statements in its proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 8, 2023 regarding the effect of broker non-votes as it relates to an amendment to the Company’s 2017 Stock Option Plan. In particular, the complaint alleges that defendants incorrectly stated in the proxy statement that broker non-votes would have no effect on the vote solicited to approve an amendment to the Company’s 2017 Stock Option Plan to increase by 600,000 shares the number of shares of Common Stock issuable under the plan, resulting in an alleged defective approval of the plan amendment. As of the date of this Form 10-Q, the Company has not issued any options under the plan relating to the additional shares included in the plan amendment.

 

The Defendants are vigorously defending against the complaint.

 

The Company’s insurance carrier is providing a defense in connection with this lawsuit, subject to a $1,000,000 self-insured retention and the terms and limitations contained in the insurance policy.

 

Shareholder Demand Letter

 

The Company’s Board received a demand letter, dated February 4, 2025 (the “Letter”), from a putative shareholder of the Company, claiming that a provision in the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws (“Bylaws”), requiring shareholders, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to indemnify the Company for attorneys’ fees in certain corporate proceedings in which the shareholder is not the prevailing party, must be removed. This provision of the Company’s Bylaws was adopted in 2012 when the Company adopted its Amended and Restated Bylaws. The statute prohibiting certain reimbursements of attorneys’ fees was adopted in 2015. The Letter demands that the Board amend its Bylaws to remove the particular provision in question.

 

After reviewing the Letter, the Board established a Demand Review Committee (the “Committee”) to review, analyze, and evaluate the shareholder demand received above, and to make recommendations to the Board with respect to such demand. The Committee was ad hoc, in that the composition of the Committee will necessarily change in response to the specific shareholder demand. Initial members of the Committee are comprised of Board members who were not members of the Board in 2012 when the Company adopted its Bylaws and are disinterested and independent with respect to the matters set forth in the Letter discussed above. The Committee was authorized to engage, at the Company’s expense, experts and advisors that the Committee deems appropriate to assist in its review and determination. Based on the Committee’s review and analysis of the demand and the current case law, in connection with the above Letter, the Committee recommended to the Board to reject such demand as being baseless. Based on the Committee’s recommendation to the Board, the Board determined that the demand is meritless and rejected such demand.

 

Insurance

 

The Company has a 25-year finite risk insurance policy entered into in June 2003 (“2003 Closure Policy”) with AIG Specialty Insurance Company (“AIG”), which provides financial assurance to the applicable states for our permitted facilities in the event of unforeseen closure. The 2003 Closure Policy, as amended, provides for a maximum allowable coverage of $28,177,000 which includes available capacity to allow for annual inflation and other performance and surety bond requirements. Total coverage under the 2003 Closure Policy, as amended, was $23,951,000 as of September 30, 2025. As of September 30, 2025, and December 31, 2024, finite risk sinking funds contributed by the Company related to the 2003 Closure Policy which is included in other long term assets on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets totaled $13,084,000 and $12,680,000, respectively, which included interest earned of $3,613,000 and $3,209,000 on the finite risk sinking funds as of September 30, 2025, and December 31, 2024, respectively. Interest income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, was approximately $131,000 and $404,000, respectively. Interest income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, was approximately $153,000 and $451,000, respectively. If we so elect, AIG is obligated to pay the Company an amount equal to 100% of the finite risk sinking fund account balance in return for a complete release of liability from both the Company and any applicable regulatory agency using this policy as an instrument to comply with financial assurance requirements.

 

 

Letter of Credits and Bonding Requirements

 

From time to time, the Company is required to post standby letters of credit and various bonds to support contractual obligations to customers and other obligations, including facility closures. As of September 30, 2025, the total amount of standby letters of credit outstanding was approximately $3,350,000, and the total amount of bonds outstanding was approximately $16,044,000.