NWPX Infrastructure, Inc. Commitments Disclosure

14.	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES:

 

Portland Harbor Superfund Site

 

In 2000, a section of the lower Willamette River known as the Portland Harbor Superfund Site was included on the National Priorities List at the request of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”). While the Company’s Portland, Oregon manufacturing facility does not border the Willamette River, an outfall from the facility’s stormwater system drains into a neighboring property’s privately owned stormwater system and slip. Also in 2000, the Company was notified by the EPA and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (“ODEQ”) of potential liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”). A remedial investigation and feasibility study of the Portland Harbor Superfund Site was directed by a group of 14 potentially responsible parties (“PRPs”) known as the Lower Willamette Group, under agreement with the EPA. The EPA finalized the remedial investigation report in 2016, and the feasibility study in 2016, which identified multiple remedial alternatives. In 2017, the EPA issued its Record of Decision (“ROD”) selecting the remedy for cleanup at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, which it believes will cost approximately $1 billion at net present value and 13 years to complete. These costs are likely to increase given remediation will not be implemented for several years. In November 2024, the Company was one of approximately 60 PRPs to receive a confidential Special Notice Letter (“SNL”) from the EPA. The EPA expressed its intent is to obtain a commitment from named PRPs of their intent to negotiate towards a Consent Decree that is aligned with the ROD. The Company submitted its response in May 2025 which, like the SNL, is intended to remain confidential. The EPA has commented that it continues to expect settlement negotiations to take approximately two years, and it has not yet determined who is responsible for the costs of cleanup or how the cleanup costs will be allocated among the more than 150 PRPs. Because of the large number of PRPs and the variability in the range of remediation alternatives, the Company is unable to estimate an amount or an amount within a range of costs for its obligation with respect to the Portland Harbor Superfund Site matters, and no liability has been recorded as of the date of this filing.

 

The Company and the ODEQ have agreed to a monitored natural attenuation work plan designed to provide ongoing monitoring of shallow groundwater objectives established for the Company’s site. Regular testing has confirmed that natural attenuation is an effective form of controlling the release of contaminants into the Willamette River. Any future liabilities or other obligations associated with source control would be derived from observed failure to meet groundwater objectives, which the Company considers unlikely based on the Company’s pattern of successful testing results.

 

Concurrent with the activities of the EPA and the ODEQ, the Portland Harbor Natural Resources Trustee Council (“Trustees”) sent some or all of the same parties, including the Company, a notice of intent to perform a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (“NRDA”) for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site to determine the nature and extent of natural resource damages under CERCLA Section 107. The Trustees for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site consist of representatives from several Northwest Indian Tribes, three federal agencies, and one state agency. The Trustees act independently of the EPA and the ODEQ. The Trustees have encouraged PRPs to voluntarily participate in the funding of their injury assessments and several of those parties have agreed to do so. In 2014, the Company agreed to participate in the injury assessment process, which included funding $0.4 million of the assessment. The Company has not assumed any additional payment obligations or liabilities with the participation with the NRDA, nor does the Company expect to incur significant future costs in the resolution of the NRDA.

 

In 2017, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, a Trustee until they withdrew from the council in 2009, filed a complaint against the PRPs including the Company to recover costs related to their own injury assessment and compensation for natural resources damages. The case has been stayed, and the Company does not have sufficient information at this time to determine the likelihood of a loss in this matter or the amount of damages that could be allocated to the Company.

 

The Company has insurance policies for defense costs, as well as indemnification policies it believes will provide reimbursement for the remediation assessed. However, the Company can provide no assurance that those policies will cover all of the costs which the Company may incur.

 

All Sites

 

The Company operates its facilities under numerous governmental permits and licenses relating to air emissions, stormwater runoff, and other environmental matters. The Company’s operations are also governed by many other laws and regulations, including those relating to workplace safety and worker health, principally the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations thereunder which, among other requirements, establish noise and dust standards. The Company believes it is in material compliance with its permits and licenses and these laws and regulations, and the Company does not believe that future compliance with such laws and regulations will have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

 

Other Contingencies and Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, the Company is party to a variety of legal actions, including claims, suits, complaints, and investigations arising out of the ordinary course of its business. The Company maintains insurance coverage against potential claims in amounts that are believed to be adequate. To the extent that insurance does not cover legal, defense, and indemnification costs associated with a loss contingency, the Company records accruals when such losses are considered probable and reasonably estimable. The Company believes that it is not presently a party to legal actions, the outcomes of which would have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

 

Commitments

 

As of December 31, 2025, the Company’s commitments include approximately $2.1 million remaining relating to its investment in a catch basin machine at the Orem, Utah facility.

 

Guarantees

 

The Company has entered into certain letters of credit that total $1.1 million as of December 31, 2025. The letters of credit relate to workers’ compensation insurance and a public improvement project.