Company: NC
Filing Date: 2025-04-07
Form Type: ARS
Source: 0000789933-25-000013
Chunk: 46

Company: NACCO INDUSTRIES INC
Filing Date: 2025-04-07
Form: ARS
Chunk 46
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 based on allegations that specific chemicals used in the fracturing process could adversely affect groundwater. In addition, if hydraulic fracturing is further regulated at the federal or state level, fracturing activities could become subject to additional permitting and financial assurance requirements, more stringent construction specifications, increased monitoring, reporting and recordkeeping obligations, plugging and abandonment requirements and also to attendant permitting delays and potential increases in costs. Such legislative or regulatory changes could cause operators of the operation on the acreage underlying our mineral interests, including those held by our equity method investee, to incur substantial compliance costs, and compliance or the consequences of any failure to comply by operators could have a material adverse effect on the Minerals Management segment. In addition, hydraulic fracturing operations require the use of a significant amount of water, and the inability of the operators of the acreage underlying our mineral interests to locate sufficient amounts of water or dispose of or recycle water used in their drilling and production operations could adversely impact their operations. Moreover, new environmental initiatives and regulations could include restrictions on the ability to conduct certain operations such as hydraulic fracturing or disposal of waste, including, but not limited to, produced water, drilling fluids and other wastes associated with the development or production of natural gas. In some instances, the operation of underground injection wells has been alleged to cause earthquakes. Such issues have sometimes led to orders prohibiting continued injection or the suspension of drilling in certain wells identified as possible sources of seismic activity. Such concerns also have resulted in stricter regulatory requirements in some jurisdictions relating to the location and operation of underground injection wells. Future orders or regulations addressing concerns about seismic activity from well injection could affect operations on the acreage underlying our mineral interests or our equity method investment. Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act (ESA) and analogous state laws restrict activities that may affect endangered or threatened species or their habitats. Pursuant to a settlement with environmental groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) was required to determine whether over 250 species required listing as threatened or endangered under the ESA. USFWS has not yet completed its review, but the potential remains for new species to be listed under the ESA. Some of our properties or mineral interests may be located in areas that are or may be designated as habitats for endangered or threatened species, and previously unprotected species may later be designated as threatened or endangered in areas where we hold interests. For example, recently, there have been renewed calls to review protections currently in place for the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, whose habitat includes portions of the