Intrepid Potash, Inc.IPI
Intrepid Potash, Inc. Commitments Disclosure
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Reclamation Deposits and Surety Bonds—As of December 31, 2025, and 2024, we had $30.1 million and $27.0 million, respectively, of security placed principally with the states of Utah and New Mexico and the Bureau of Land Management for eventual reclamation of our various facilities. Of this total requirement, as of December 31, 2025, and 2024, $0.6 million and $0.6 million, respectively, consisted of long-term restricted cash deposits reflected in "Other" long-term assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, and $29.5 million and $26.4 million, respectively, was secured by surety bonds issued by an insurer. The surety bonds are held in place by an annual fee paid to the issuer.
We may be required to post additional security to fund future reclamation obligations as reclamation plans are updated or as governmental entities change requirements.
Legal—We are subject to claims and legal actions in the ordinary course of business. We expense legal costs as incurred. While there are uncertainties in predicting the outcome of any claim or legal action, except as noted below, we believe the ultimate resolution of these claims or actions is not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
Water Rights
In 2017 and 2018, the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer ("OSE") granted us preliminary and emergency authorizations to sell approximately 5,700 acre-feet of water per year from our Pecos River water rights. The preliminary and emergency authorizations allowed for water sales to begin immediately, subject to repayment if the underlying water rights were ultimately found to be invalid. On March 17, 2022, following a trial to determine the validity of our Pecos River water rights, the Fifth Judicial District Court in New Mexico entered an order that found that of the 20,000 acre feet of water per year we claimed, our predecessors in interest had forfeited all but approximately 5,800 acre feet of water per year, and that of the remaining 5,800 acre feet of water that had not been forfeited, all but 150 acre feet of water had been abandoned prior to 2017 (the "Order"). The Order limited our right to 150 acre fee per annum of water for industrial-salt processing use. We appealed the Order to the New Mexico Court of Appeals ("NMCA"), which, on July 7, 2023, affirmed the Order. On November 17, 2023, we filed a request for the New Mexico Supreme Court ("NMSC") to reconsider and review the NMCA's decision to affirm the Order's abandonment determination. The NMSC agreed to review the NMCA's abandonment determination, and on July 5, 2025, issued a decision upholding the NMCA’s findings. The NMSC’s decision renders the Order final.
Given the NMSC’s decision, we will have to repay for the water sold under preliminary and emergency authorizations. The OSE has indicated they are seeking repayment of approximately 9,600 acre-feet of water. Repayment is customarily made in-kind over a period of time but can take other forms including cash repayment. If we are not able to repay
in-kind due to the lack of remaining water rights or logistical constraints, we may need to purchase water to meet this repayment or be subject to a cash repayment. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the timing and the form of repayment, we cannot reasonably estimate the amount of the potential liability and have not recorded a loss contingency in our statement of operations related to this legal matter.
Class Action Claim
On November 6, 2024, we were served with a class action lawsuit filed in federal district court in New Mexico. The suit alleged that Intrepid and Intrepid Potash – New Mexico, LLC violated the New Mexico Minimum Wage Act by failing to properly compensate certain New Mexico underground mine and surface mine workers overtime for specific activities, including putting on and removing personal protective equipment from 2009 to the present. The complaint sought all unpaid wages for these activities for all class members, which was alleged to exceed $5.0 million.
In December 2025, we agreed to pay $4.0 million to settle the matter and to dismiss all current and future claims arising from this matter against us. We have recorded an estimated liability of $4.0 million as of December 31, 2025. The settlement remains subject to customary conditions, including final approval by the court following notice to the putative class and a fairness hearing. There can be no assurance that the court will grant final approval or that appeals will not be filed.
Other Contingent Liabilities
In May 2025, we reported to the State of New Mexico that we had an unpermitted discharge of brine at our HB facility. We have recorded an estimated liability of $2.2 million related to the potential penalties we may incur related to this unpermitted discharge. The State of New Mexico may require us to perform remediation activities related to this incident. Given the nature and location of the discharge, we have recorded an estimated environmental liability of $0.1 million for any required environmental remediation activities based on our estimate of the costs associated with expected required environmental remediation activities. However, our estimate of any required remediation costs related to the unpermitted discharge could change significantly and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows, if we are required to perform more substantial and costly remediation activities than we currently expect to perform.
In 2019, the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Natural Resources Revenue ("ONRR") completed an audit of federal royalties at our New Mexico facilities covering the years 2012 through 2016 (the "audit period") and issued a "Perform Restructured Accounting and Pay Order" (the "Order"). The most significant of the ONRR's findings related to instances in which adequate supporting documentation was not provided to them for various items ONRR tested during the audit. Since the Order was issued, we worked with the ONRR to address the issues noted from the audit and, in the third quarter of 2025, we paid $3.5 million to the ONRR and the ONRR closed the Order.
As of December 31, 2025, we have estimated contingent liabilities recorded in "Other current liabilities" on the Consolidated Balance Sheets of $7.3 million, mainly related to a proposed settlement for an employment class action lawsuit and to potential penalties related to an unpermitted discharge at our HB facility. As of December 31, 2024, we had estimated contingent liabilities recorded in "Other current liabilities" on the Consolidated Balance Sheets of $4.8 million, mainly related to the potential underpayment of royalties to the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Natural Resources Revenue ("ONRR") in 2012 to 2016.Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mar 5, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Mar 4, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Mar 7, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Mar 7, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Mar 8, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Mar 2, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Mar 3, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Mar 12, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 27, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 28, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 29, 2016 | |
About Commitments Disclosures
Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.
Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.