PERMA FIX ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES INC [PESI] Filings

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

or

For the transition period from _____ to _____

Commission File No. 1-11596

PERMA-FIX ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(770) 587-9898

(Registrant’s telephone number)

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

☐ Yes ☒ No

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

☐ Yes ☒ No

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

☒ Yes ☐ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit and post such files).

☒ Yes ☐ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated Filer ☐ Non-accelerated Filer ☒ Smaller reporting company ☒ Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). . ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). ☐ Yes ☒ No

The aggregate market value of the Registrant’s voting and non-voting common equity held by nonaffiliates of the Registrant computed by reference to the closing sale price of such stock as reported by NASDAQ as of the last business day of the most recently completed second fiscal quarter (June 30, 2023), was approximately $136,122,310). For the purposes of this calculation, all directors and executive officers of the Registrant (as indicated in Item 12) have been deemed to be affiliates. Such determination should not be deemed an admission that such directors and executive officers, are, in fact, affiliates of the Registrant. The Company’s Common Stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

As of February 12, 2024, there were 13,671,022 shares of the registrant’s Common Stock, $.001 par value, outstanding.

Documents incorporated by reference: None

PERMA-FIX ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC.

INDEX

PART I

Company Overview and Principal Products and Services

Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (the Company, which may be referred to as we, us, or our), a Delaware corporation incorporated in December 1990, is an environmental and environmental technology know-how company.

The principal element of our business strategy consists of upgrading our facilities within our Treatment Segment to increase efficiency and modernize and expand treatment capabilities to meet the changing markets associated with the waste management industry. Within our Services Segment, we continue to increase competitive procurement effectiveness and broaden the market penetration within both the commercial and government sectors. We continue to increase our focus on expansion into both commercial and international markets (see “Foreign Revenue and Initiatives” below for further discussion of a recently won foreign contract) to supplement government spending in the United States of America (“USA”), from which a significant portion of our revenue is derived. This includes new services, new customers and increased market share in our current markets.

We experienced significant improvement in our 2023 financial results as the lingering effects of COVID-19 began to subside starting in the early part of 2022. Our Treatment Segment continued to see steady improvements in waste receipts from certain customers who had previously delayed waste shipments due, in part, from the impact of COVID-19. Within our Services Segment, certain projects which were delayed/curtailed in the first part of 2022 due, in part, from the lingering effects of the COVID-19, achieved full operational status and improved productivity in 2023 which positively impacted revenue. Revenues from both of our Segments were also positively impacted from contracts won in 2023 as procurement and planning on behalf of our government clients continued to progress as the lingering effects of COVID-19 pandemic subsided.

Heading into 2024, we expect to see overall continue steady improvements in waste receipts and increases in project work from certain existing contracts, contracts won in 2023, and bids submitted in both segments that are awaiting awards. However, due to our operations which is subject to seasonal factor, we generally experience lower revenue in the first quarter due to overall reduced activities by our customers from the usual slowdown in operations due, in part, from returning from the holiday periods and poorer weather conditions. Additionally, due to Congress’s inability to timely approve FY 2024 budget and the extension of the continuing resolution, certain of our government related customers have informed us that waste shipments will likely be delayed. Although we expect to see overall improvements in revenue in 2024 as disclosed above, if Congress is unable to enact the full FY 2024 appropriation bills or further extend the continuing resolutions to fund government spending by the late March deadline, the U.S. government will enter into a partial shutdown. The full impact of any additional continued resolution beyond March or a partial government shutdown is uncertain. If a partial government shutdown were to occur and were to continue an extended period, our financial results of operations could be negatively impacted by delays in procurement actions, waste shipments and project delays on newly awarded projects (See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – for a full discussion of the Company’s results of operations for 2023).

Segment Information and Foreign and Domestic Operations and Sales

For 2023, we have two reportable segments. In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 280, “Segment Reporting”, we define an operating segment as:

TREATMENT SEGMENT reporting includes:

For 2023, the Treatment Segment accounted for $43,477,000, or 48.5%, of total revenue, as compared to $33,358,000, or 47.2%, of total revenue for 2022. See “Dependence Upon a Single or Few Customers” for further details and a discussion as to our Segments’ contracts with government clients (domestic) or with others as a subcontractor to government clients.

SERVICES SEGMENT, which includes:

For 2023, the Services Segment accounted for $46,258,000, or 51.5%, of total revenue, as compared to $37,241,000, or 52.8%, of total revenue for 2022. See “Dependence Upon a Single or Few Customers” for further details and a discussion as to our Segments’ contracts with government clients (domestic) or with others as a subcontractor to government clients.

Our Treatment and Services Segments provide services primarily to research institutions, commercial companies, public utilities, and governmental entities, including the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) and U.S. Department of Defense (“DOD”). The distribution channels for our services are through direct sales to customers or via intermediaries.

Our corporate office is located at 8302 Dunwoody Place, Suite 250, Atlanta, Georgia 30350.

Foreign Revenue and Initiative

As noted previously, we continue to increase our focus on expansion into international markets.

On December 18, 2023, the joint venture (“JV”) where we and Campoverde Srl (“JV partner”) each owns 50% of the partnership, was awarded a multi-year contract valued up to approximately EUR 50 million by the European Commission (the “Contracting Authority”) for the treatment of radioactive waste from the Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy. Work under this JV has not started as of December 31, 2023. The scope of work to be performed in the initial phases of this contract will be performed predominately by our JV partner. Revenue generated by us under the initial phases will be limited to project management support through 2025. We expect to generate an increase in revenue under this contract starting in 2026 when the waste treatment phases begin. The Contracting Authority may terminate the contract under certain conditions as set forth in the contract.

During March 2022, we signed a non-binding joint venture term sheet addressing plans to partner with Springfields Fuels Limited (“SFL”), an affiliate of Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, to develop and manage a nuclear waste-materials treatment facility (the “Facility”) in the United Kingdom. The Facility is for the purpose of expanding the partners’ waste treatment capabilities for the European nuclear market. It is expected that upon finalization of a partnership agreement, SFL will have an ownership interest of fifty-five (55) percent and our interest will be forty-five (45) percent. The finalization, form and capitalization of this unpopulated partnership is subject to numerous conditions, including but not limited to, completion and execution of a definitive agreement and facility design, granting of required regulatory, lender or permitting approvals and updated cost and profitability analysis based on current and forecast future economic conditions. Upon finalization of this venture, we will be required to make an investment in this venture. The amount of our investment, the period of which it is to be made and the method of funding are to be determined.

Our consolidated revenue for 2023 and 2022 included approximately $2,066,000, or 2.3%, and $1,226,000, or 1.7%, respectively, from foreign customers.

Seasonal Factors of our Business

Our operations are generally subject to seasonal factors. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to our Business and Operations – Our operations are subject to seasonal factors, which causes our revenues to fluctuate” for a discussion of our seasonal factors.

Permits and Licenses

Waste management service companies are subject to extensive, evolving and increasingly stringent federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations. Such federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations govern our activities regarding the treatment, storage, processing, disposal and transportation of hazardous, non-hazardous and radioactive wastes, and require us to obtain and maintain permits, licenses and/or approvals in order to conduct our waste activities. We are dependent on our permits and licenses discussed below in order to operate our businesses. Failure to obtain and maintain our permits or approvals would have a material adverse effect on us, our operations, and financial condition. The permits and licenses have terms ranging from one to ten years, and provide that we maintain a reasonable level of compliance, renew with minimal effort, and cost. We believe that these permit and license requirements represent a potential barrier to entry for possible competitors.

PFF, located in Gainesville, Florida, operates its hazardous, mixed and low-level radioactive waste activities under a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) Part B permit, Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) authorization, Restricted RX Drug Distributor-Destruction license, biomedical, and a radioactive materials license issued by the State of Florida. Co-regulated TSCA Polychlorinated Biphenyl (“PCB”) wastes are also managed for PCB under EPA Approval.

DSSI, located in Kingston, Tennessee, conducts mixed and low-level radioactive waste storage and treatment activities under RCRA Part B permits and a radioactive materials license issued by the State of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of radiological health. Co-regulated TSCA PCB wastes are also managed for PCB destruction under EPA Approval.

PFNWR, located in Richland, Washington, operates a low-level radioactive waste processing facility as well as a mixed waste processing facility. Radioactive material processing is authorized under radioactive materials licenses issued by the State of Washington and mixed waste processing is additionally authorized under a RCRA Part B permit. Co-regulated TSCA PCB wastes are also managed for PCB under EPA Approval.

EWOC, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, operates a low-level radioactive waste material processing facility. Radioactive material processing is authorized under radioactive material licenses issued by the State of Tennessee Department of Environmental and Conservation, Division of radiological health.

The combination of RCRA Part B hazardous waste permits, TSCA authorizations, and radioactive material licenses held by us and our subsidiaries comprising our Treatment Segment is very difficult to obtain for a single facility and make this Segment unique.

We believe that the permitting and licensing requirements, and the cost to obtain such permits, are barriers to the entry of hazardous waste and radioactive and mixed waste activities as presently operated by our waste treatment subsidiaries. If the permit requirements for hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal (“TSD”) activities and/or the licensing requirements for the handling of low-level radioactive matters are eliminated or if such licenses or permits were made less rigorous to obtain, we believe such would allow companies to enter into these markets and provide greater competition.

Number of Employees

At December 31, 2023, we employed approximately 297 employees, of whom 288 are full-time employees and 9 are part-time/temporary employees. None of our current employees are unionized.

The Company entered into a Project Labor Agreement (“PLA”) dated June 21, 2023, with UA Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 598. The goal of this partnership is to supply our PFNWR facility with the organized labor force needed to take on the challenges of providing a supplement treatment alternative to include concrete-like grout for Hanford’s Low Activity Tank Waste if and when the DOE grants a contract to PFNWR to treat the Low Activity Tank Waste. This supplemental capability would support DOE’s glassifying process provided by the Hanford Vitrification Plant for safe transport and disposal off-site.

Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”)

We have a ESG subcommittee under our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee to provide guidance on ESG management. Our executive team is responsible for the continuing development of our ESG strategic roadmap with support from management from key functional areas. The key areas of focus under our ESG initiatives continue to be health and safety, environmental performance, DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion), talent retention and development, corporate governance and climate-forward service development that support our customers’ transition to low carbon economy. Our executive team is involved in policy planning and coordination of corporate-wide ESG efforts. See our website at https://www.perma-fix.com/esg.aspx for some highlights of our ESG initiatives as well as our policies under our ESG as we continue to improve our ESG initiatives. The information on our website is not part of, or incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K.

Dependence Upon a Single or Few Customers

Our Treatment and Services Segments have significant relationships with the U.S. governmental authorities. A significant amount of our revenues from our Treatment and Services Segments are generated indirectly as subcontractors for others who are prime contractors to government authorities, particularly the DOE and DOD, or directly as the prime contractor to government authorities. The contracts that we are a party to with others as subcontractors to the U.S federal government or directly with the U.S federal government generally provide that the government may terminate the contract at any time for convenience at the government’s option. Our inability to continue under existing contracts that we have with U.S government authorities (directly or indirectly as a subcontractor) or significant reductions in the level of governmental funding in any given year could have a material adverse impact on our operations and financial condition.

We performed services relating to waste generated by government clients (domestic), either indirectly for others as a subcontractor to government entities or directly as a prime contractor to government entities, representing approximately $70,642,000 or 78.7%, of our total revenue during 2023, as compared to $59,658,000, or 84.5%, of our total revenue during 2022.

Our revenues are project/event based where the completion of one contract with a specific customer may be replaced by another contract with a different customer from year to year.

Competitive Conditions

The Treatment Segment’s largest competitor is EnergySolutions which operates treatment facilities in Oak Ridge, TN and Erwin, TN and treatment/disposal facilities for low level radioactive waste in Clive, UT and Barnwell, SC. Waste Control Specialists, which has licensed treatment/disposal capabilities for low level radioactive waste in Andrews, TX, is also a competitor in the treatment market with increasing market share. These two competitors also provide us with options for disposal of our treated nuclear waste. The Treatment Segment treats and disposes of DOE generated waste largely at DOE owned sites. Our Treatment Segment currently solicits business primarily on a North America basis with both government and commercial clients; however, we continue to focus on emerging international markets for additional work.

Our Services Segment is engaged in highly competitive businesses in which a number of our government contracts and some of our commercial contracts are awarded through competitive bidding processes. The extent of such competition varies according to the industries and markets in which our customers operate as well as the geographic areas in which we operate. The degree and type of competition we face is also often influenced by the project specification being bid on and the different specialty skill sets of each bidder for which our Services Segment competes, especially projects subject to the governmental bid process. We also have the ability to prime federal government small business procurements (small business set asides). Based on past experience, we believe that large businesses are more willing to team with small businesses in order to be part of these often-substantial procurements. There are a number of qualified small businesses in our market that will provide intense competition that may provide a challenge to our ability to maintain strong growth rates and acceptable profit margins. For international business there are additional competitors, many from within the country the work is to be performed, making winning work in foreign countries more challenging. If our Services Segment is unable to meet these competitive challenges, it could lose market share and experience an overall reduction in its profits.

Certain Environmental Expenditures and Potential Environmental Liabilities

Environmental Liabilities

We have three remediation projects, which are currently in progress relating to our Perma-Fix of Dayton, Inc. (“PFD”), Perma-Fix of Memphis, Inc. (“PFM”), and Perma-Fix South Georgia, Inc. (“PFSG”) subsidiaries, which are all included within our discontinued operations. These remediation projects principally entail the removal/remediation of contaminated soil and, in most cases, the remediation of surrounding ground water. These remediation activities are closely reviewed and monitored by the applicable state regulators.

As of December 31, 2023, we had total accrued environmental remediation liabilities of $845,000, a decrease of $16,000 from the December 31, 2022, balance of $861,000. The decrease represents payments for remediation projects. As of December 31, 2023, $61,000 of the total accrued environmental liabilities was recorded as current.

The nature of our business exposes us to significant cost to comply with governmental environmental laws, rules and regulations and risk of liability for damages. Such potential liability could involve, for example, claims for cleanup costs, personal injury or damage to the environment in cases where we are held responsible for the release of hazardous materials; claims of employees, customers or third parties for personal injury or property damage occurring in the course of our operations; and claims alleging negligence or professional errors or omissions in the planning or performance of our services. In addition, we could be deemed a potentially responsible party (“PRP”) for the costs of required cleanup of properties, which may be contaminated by hazardous substances generated or transported by us to a site we selected, including properties owned or leased by us. We could also be subject to fines and civil penalties in connection with violations of regulatory requirements.

R&D

Innovation and technical know-how by our operations is very important to the success of our business. Our goal is to discover, develop and bring to market innovative ways to process waste that address unmet environmental needs. We conduct research internally, and also through collaborations with other third parties. The majority of our research activities are performed as we receive new and unique waste to treat. Our competitors also devote resources to R&D and many such competitors have greater resources at their disposal than we do. R&D totaled $561,000 and $336,000 for 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Governmental Regulation

Environmental companies, such as us, and their customers are subject to extensive and evolving environmental laws and regulations by a number of federal, state and local environmental, safety and health agencies, the principal of which being the EPA. These laws and regulations largely contribute to the demand for our services. Although our customers remain responsible by law for their environmental problems, we must also comply with the requirements of those laws applicable to our services. We cannot predict the extent to which our operations may be affected by future enforcement policies as applied to existing laws or by the enactment of new environmental laws and regulations. Moreover, any predictions regarding possible liability are further complicated by the fact that under current environmental laws we could be jointly and severally liable for certain activities of third parties over whom we have little or no control. Although we believe that we are currently in substantial compliance with applicable laws and regulations, we could be subject to fines, penalties or other liabilities or could be adversely affected by existing or subsequently enacted laws or regulations. The principal environmental laws affecting our customers and us are briefly discussed below.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended (“RCRA”)

RCRA and its associated regulations establish a strict and comprehensive permitting and regulatory program applicable to companies, such as us, that treat, store or dispose of hazardous waste. The EPA has promulgated regulations under RCRA for new and existing treatment, storage and disposal facilities including incinerators, storage and treatment tanks, storage containers, storage and treatment surface impoundments, waste piles and landfills. Every facility that treats, stores or disposes of hazardous waste must obtain a RCRA permit or must obtain interim status from the EPA, or a state agency, which has been authorized by the EPA to administer its program, and must comply with certain operating, financial responsibility and closure requirements.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (“CERCLA,” also referred to as the “Superfund Act”)

CERCLA governs the cleanup of sites at which hazardous substances are located or at which hazardous substances have been released or are threatened to be released into the environment. CERCLA authorizes the EPA to compel responsible parties to clean up sites and provides for punitive damages for noncompliance. CERCLA imposes joint and several liabilities for the costs of clean up and damages to natural resources.

Health and Safety Regulations

The operation of our environmental activities is subject to the requirements of the OSHA and comparable state laws. Regulations promulgated under OSHA by the Department of Labor require employers of persons in the transportation and environmental industries, including independent contractors, to implement hazard communications, work practices and personnel protection programs in order to protect employees from equipment safety hazards and exposure to hazardous chemicals.

Atomic Energy Act

The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 governs the safe handling and use of Source, Special Nuclear and Byproduct materials in the U.S. and its territories. This act authorized the Atomic Energy Commission (now the Nuclear Regulatory Commission “USNRC”) to enter into “Agreements with states to carry out those regulatory functions in those respective states except for Nuclear Power Plants and federal facilities like the VA hospitals and the DOE operations.” The State of Florida Department of Health (with the USNRC oversight), Office of Radiation Control, regulates the licensing and radiological program of the PFF facility; the State of Tennessee (with the USNRC oversight), Tennessee Division of Radiological Health, regulates licensing and the radiological program of the DSSI facility and the EWOC facility; and the State of Washington (with the USNRC oversight) Department of Health, regulates licensing and the radiological operations of the PFNWR facility.

Other Laws

Our activities are subject to other federal environmental protection and similar laws, including, without limitation, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act and the TSCA. Many states have also adopted laws for the protection of the environment which may affect us, including laws governing the generation, handling, transportation and disposition of hazardous substances and laws governing the investigation and cleanup of, and liability for, contaminated sites. Some of these state provisions are broader and more stringent than existing federal law and regulations. Our failure to conform our services to the requirements of any of these other applicable federal or state laws could subject us to substantial liabilities which could have a material adverse effect on us, our operations and financial condition. In addition to various federal, state and local environmental regulations, our hazardous waste transportation activities are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Interstate Commerce Commission and transportation regulatory bodies in the states in which we operate. We cannot predict the extent to which we may be affected by any law or rule that may be enacted or enforced in the future, or any new or different interpretations of existing laws or rules.

The following are certain risk factors that could affect our business, financial performance, and results of operations. These risk factors should be considered in connection with evaluating the forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K, as the forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and actual results and conditions could differ materially from the current expectations. Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk, and before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider these risk factors as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference in the other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”).

Risks Relating to our Business and Operations

Failure to maintain our financial assurance coverage that we are required to have in order to operate our permitted treatment, storage and disposal facilities could have a material adverse effect on us.

We maintain finite risk insurance policies and bonding mechanisms which provide financial assurance to the applicable states for our permitted facilities in the event of unforeseen closure of those facilities. We are required to provide and to maintain financial assurance that guarantees to the state that in the event of closure, our permitted facilities will be closed in accordance with the regulations. In the event that we are unable to obtain or maintain our financial assurance coverage for any reason, this could materially impact our operations and our permits which we are required to have in order to operate our treatment, storage, and disposal facilities.

If we cannot maintain adequate insurance coverage, we will be unable to continue certain operations.

Our business exposes us to various risks, including claims for causing damage to property and injuries to persons that may involve allegations of negligence or professional errors or omissions in the performance of our services. Such claims could be substantial. We believe that our insurance coverage is presently adequate and similar to, or greater than, the coverage maintained by other companies in the industry of our size. If we are unable to obtain adequate or required insurance coverage in the future, or if our insurance is not available at affordable rates, we would violate our permit conditions and other requirements of the environmental laws, rules, and regulations under which we operate. Such violations would render us unable to continue certain of our operations. These events would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

The inability to maintain existing government contracts or win new government contracts over an extended period could have a material adverse effect on our operations and adversely affect our future revenues.

A material amount of our Treatment and Services Segments’ revenues are generated through various government contracts or subcontracts. Most of our government contracts or our subcontracts granted under government contracts are awarded through a regulated competitive bidding process. Some government contracts are awarded to multiple competitors, which increase overall competition and pricing pressure and may require us to make sustained post-award efforts to realize revenues under these government contracts. Contracts with, or subcontracts involving, the U.S federal government are generally terminable for convenience at any time at the option of the governmental agency. The multi-year contract that was awarded to us and our JV partner, Campoverde Srl, by the European Commission (the “Contracting Authority”) on December 18, 2023, for the treatment of radioactive waste from the Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy as discussed previously may be terminated by the Contracting Authority under certain conditions as set forth in the contract. If we fail to maintain or replace these relationships, or if a material contract is terminated or renegotiated in a manner that is materially adverse to us, our revenues and future operations could be materially adversely affected.

Our existing and future customers may reduce or halt their spending on hazardous waste and nuclear services with outside vendors, including us.

A variety of factors may cause our existing or future customers (including government clients) to reduce or halt their spending on hazardous waste and nuclear services from outside vendors, including us. These factors include, but are not limited to:

These events could result in or cause government clients to terminate or cancel existing contracts involving us to treat, store or dispose of contaminated waste and/or to perform remediation projects, at one or more of government sites. These events also could adversely affect us to the extent that they result in the reduction or elimination of contractual requirements, lower demand for nuclear services, burdensome regulation, disruptions of shipments or production, increased operational costs or difficulties or increased liability for actual or threatened property damage or personal injury.

Economic downturns, reductions in government funding or other events beyond our control could have a material negative impact on our businesses.

Demand for our services has been, and we expect that demand will continue to be, subject to significant fluctuations due to a variety of factors beyond our control, including, without limitation, economic conditions, reductions in the budget for spending to remediate federal sites due to numerous reasons including, without limitation, the substantial deficits that the federal government has and is continuing to incur. During economic downturns, large budget deficits that the federal government and many states are experiencing, and other events beyond our control, including, but not limited to the impact from public health events (such as COVID-19), the ability of private and government entities to spend on waste services, including nuclear services, may decline significantly. Our operations depend, in large part, upon governmental funding (for example, the annual budget of the DOE) or specifically mandated levels for different programs that are important to our business could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flow.

The loss of one or a few customers could have an adverse effect on us.

One or a few governmental customers or governmental related customers have in the past, and may in the future, account for a significant portion of our revenue in any one year or over a period of several consecutive years. Because customers generally contract with us for specific projects, we may lose these significant customers from year to year as their projects with us are completed. Our inability to replace the business with other similar significant projects could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

We are a holding company and depend, in large part, on receiving funds from our subsidiaries to fund our indebtedness.

Because we are a holding company and operations are conducted through our subsidiaries, our ability to meet our obligations depends, in large part, on the operating performance and cash flows of our subsidiaries.

Our Treatment Segment has limited end disposal sites to utilize to dispose of its waste which could significantly impact our results of operations.

Our Treatment Segment has limited options available for disposal of our nuclear waste. Currently, there are only four commercial disposal sites for our low-level radioactive waste and six commercial disposal sites for our very low-level activity waste we receive from non-governmental sites, allowing us to take advantage of the pricing competition between these sites. If one or more of these commercial disposal sites ceases to accept waste or closes for any reason or refuses to accept the waste of our Treatment Segment, for any reason, we would have limited remaining site to dispose of our nuclear waste. With limited end disposal site to dispose of our waste, we could be subject to significantly increased costs which could negatively impact our results of operations.

Direct and indirect macroeconomic impacts resulting from natural disasters, public health events and/or world conflicts in various regions could continue to and may in the future negatively impact our business and results of operations.

Public health threats and outbreaks such as COVID-19 and natural disasters such as hurricanes and severe weather conditions have previously negatively impacted our results of operations. The direct impacts of these such events resulted in delayed waste shipments from certain of our customers and delays in procurement, contract awards and planning on behalf of our government clients which negatively impacted our revenue. Residual and lingering macroeconomic effects from these such events could again in the future impact supply chain, workforce availability, and/or increased costs which could have a downward effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, world conflicts currently occurring in various regions may lead to similar macroeconomic effects which could have a downward effect on our business, financial conditions and results of operations. We may attempt to increase our sales prices in order to maintain satisfactory margin; however, competitive pressures in our industry may have the effect of inhibiting our ability to reflect these increased costs in the prices of our services that we provide to our customers and therefore reduce our profitability.

Our operations are subject to seasonal factors, which cause our revenues to fluctuate.

We have historically experienced reduced revenues and losses during the first and fourth quarters of our fiscal years due to a seasonal slowdown in operations from poor weather conditions, overall reduced activities during these periods resulting from holiday periods, and finalization of government budgets during the fourth quarter of each year. During our second and third fiscal quarters there has historically been an increase in revenues and operating profits. If we do not continue to have increased revenues and profitability during the second and third fiscal quarters, this could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and liquidity.

We are engaged in highly competitive businesses and typically must bid against other competitors to obtain major contracts.

We are engaged in highly competitive business in which most of our government contracts and some of our commercial contracts are awarded through competitive bidding processes. We compete with national, regional firms and some international firms with nuclear and/or hazardous waste services practices, as well as small or local contractors. Some of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do, which can give them a competitive advantage. In addition, even if we are qualified to work on a new government contract, we might not be awarded the contract because of existing government policies designed to protect certain types of businesses and under-represented minority contractors. Although we believe we have the ability to certify and bid government contract as a small business, there are a number of qualified small businesses in our market that will provide intense competition. For international business, which we continue to focus on, there are additional competitors, many from within the country the work is to be performed, making winning work in foreign countries more challenging. Competition places downward pressure on our contract prices and profit margins. If we are unable to meet these competitive challenges, we could lose market share and experience on overall reduction in our profits.

We bear the risk of cost overruns in fixed-price contracts. We may experience reduced profits or, in some cases, losses under these contracts if costs increase above our estimates.

Our revenues may be earned under contracts that are fixed-price or maximum price in nature. Fixed-price contracts expose us to a number of risks not inherent in cost-reimbursable contracts. Under fixed price and guaranteed maximum-price contracts, contract prices are established in part on cost and scheduling estimates which are based on a number of assumptions, including assumptions about future economic conditions, prices and availability of labor, equipment and materials, and other exigencies. If these estimates prove inaccurate, or if circumstances change such as unanticipated technical problems, difficulties in obtaining permits or approvals, changes in laws or labor conditions, supply chain interruptions, weather delays, cost of raw materials, our suppliers’ or subcontractors’ inability to perform, and/or other events beyond our control, such as the impact of public health events, cost overruns may occur and we could experience reduced profits or, in some cases, a loss for that project. Errors or ambiguities as to contract specifications can also lead to cost-overruns.

Adequate bonding is necessary for us to win certain types of new work and support facility closure requirements.

We are often required to provide performance bonds to customers under certain of our contracts, primarily within our Services Segment. These surety instruments indemnify the customer if we fail to perform our obligations under the contract. If a bond is required for a particular project and we are unable to obtain it due to insufficient liquidity or other reasons, we may not be able to pursue that project. In addition, we provide bonds to support financial assurance in the event of facility closure pursuant to state requirements. We currently have a bonding facility but, the issuance of bonds under that facility is at the surety’s sole discretion. Moreover, due to events that affect the insurance and bonding markets generally, bonding may be more difficult to obtain in the future or may only be available at significant additional cost. There can be no assurance that bonds will continue to be available to us on reasonable terms. Our inability to obtain adequate bonding and, as a result, to bid on new work could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we cannot maintain our governmental permits or cannot obtain required permits, we may not be able to continue or expand our operations.

We are a nuclear services and waste management company. Our business is subject to extensive, evolving, and increasingly stringent federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations. Such federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations govern our activities regarding the treatment, storage, recycling, disposal, and transportation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste and low-level radioactive waste. We must obtain and maintain permits or licenses to conduct these activities in compliance with such laws and regulations. Failure to obtain and maintain the required permits or licenses would have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition. If any of our facilities are unable to maintain currently held permits or licenses or obtain any additional permits or licenses which may be required to conduct its operations, we may not be able to continue those operations at these facilities, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Risks Related to Laws and Regulations

As a government contractor, we are subject to extensive government regulation, and our failure to comply with applicable regulations could subject us to penalties that may restrict our ability to conduct our business.

Our governmental contracts or subcontracts relating to DOE and DOD sites, are a significant part of our business. Allowable costs under U.S. government contracts are subject to audit by the U.S. government. If these audits result in determinations that costs claimed as reimbursable are not allowed costs or were not allocated in accordance with applicable regulations, we could be required to reimburse the U.S. government for amounts previously received.

Governmental contracts or subcontracts involving governmental facilities are often subject to specific procurement regulations, contract provisions and a variety of other requirements relating to the formation, administration, performance and accounting of these contracts. Many of these contracts include express or implied certifications of compliance with applicable regulations and contractual provisions. If we fail to comply with any regulations, requirements or statutes, our existing governmental contracts or subcontracts involving governmental facilities could be terminated or we could be suspended from government contracting or subcontracting. If one or more of our governmental contracts or subcontracts are terminated for any reason, or if we are suspended or debarred from government work, we could suffer a significant reduction in expected revenues and profits. Furthermore, as a result of our governmental contracts or subcontracts involving governmental facilities, claims for civil or criminal fraud may be brought by the government or violations of these regulations, requirements or statutes.

Changes in environmental regulations and enforcement policies could subject us to additional liability and adversely affect our ability to continue certain operations.

We cannot predict the extent to which our operations may be affected by future governmental enforcement policies as applied to existing environmental laws, by changes to current environmental laws and regulations, or by the enactment of new environmental laws and regulations. Any predictions regarding possible liability under such laws are complicated further by current environmental laws which provide that we could be liable, jointly and severally, for certain activities of third parties over whom we have limited or no control.

Our businesses subject us to substantial potential environmental liability.

Our business of rendering services in connection with management of waste, including certain types of hazardous waste, low-level radioactive waste, and mixed waste (waste containing both hazardous and low-level radioactive waste), subjects us to risks of liability for damages. Such liability could involve, without limitation:

Our operations are subject to numerous environmental laws and regulations. We have in the past, and could in the future, be subject to substantial fines, penalties, and sanctions for violations of environmental laws and substantial expenditures as a responsible party for the cost of remediating any property which may be contaminated by hazardous substances generated by us and disposed at such property, or transported by us to a site selected by us, including properties we own or lease.

As our operations expand, we may be subject to increased litigation, which could have a negative impact on our future financial results.

Our operations are highly regulated and we are subject to numerous laws and regulations regarding procedures for waste treatment, storage, recycling, transportation, and disposal activities, all of which may provide the basis for litigation against us. In recent years, the waste treatment industry has experienced a significant increase in so-called “toxic-tort” litigation as those injured by contamination seek to recover for personal injuries or property damage. We believe that, as our operations and activities expand, there will be a similar increase in the potential for litigation alleging that we have violated environmental laws or regulations or are responsible for contamination or pollution caused by our normal operations, negligence or other misconduct, or for accidents, which occur in the course of our business activities. Such litigation, if significant and not adequately insured against, could adversely affect our financial condition and our ability to fund our operations. Protracted litigation would likely cause us to spend significant amounts of our time, effort, and money. This could prevent our management from focusing on our operations and expansion.

If environmental regulation or enforcement is relaxed, the demand for our services could decrease.

The demand for our services is substantially dependent upon the public’s concern with, and the continuation and proliferation of, the laws and regulations governing the treatment, storage, recycling, and disposal of hazardous, non-hazardous, and low-level radioactive waste. A decrease in the level of public concern, the repeal or modification of these laws, or any significant relaxation of regulations relating to the treatment, storage, recycling, and disposal of hazardous waste and low-level radioactive waste could significantly reduce the demand for our services and could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition. We are not aware of any current federal or state government or agency efforts in which a moratorium or limitation has been, or will be, placed upon the creation of new hazardous or radioactive waste regulations that would have a material adverse effect on us; however, no assurance can be made that such a moratorium or limitation will not be implemented in the future.

We and our customers operate in a politically sensitive environment, and the public perception of nuclear power and radioactive materials can affect our customers and us.

We and our customers operate in a politically sensitive environment. Opposition by third parties to particular projects can limit the handling and disposal of radioactive materials. Adverse public reaction to developments in the disposal of radioactive materials, including any high-profile incident involving the discharge of radioactive materials, could directly affect our customers and indirectly affect our business. Adverse public reaction also could lead to increased regulation or outright prohibition, limitations on the activities of our customers, more onerous operating requirements or other conditions that could have a material adverse impact on our customers’ and our business.

The elimination or any modification of the Price-Anderson Acts indemnification authority could have adverse consequences for our business.

The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, or the AEA, comprehensively regulates the manufacture, use, and storage of radioactive materials. The Price-Anderson Act (“PAA”) supports the nuclear services industry by offering broad indemnification to DOE contractors for liabilities arising out of nuclear incidents at DOE nuclear facilities. That indemnification protects DOE prime contractor, but also similar companies that work under contract or subcontract for a DOE prime contract or transporting radioactive material to or from a site. The indemnification authority of the DOE under the PAA was extended through 2025 by the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Under certain conditions, the PAA’s indemnification provisions may not apply to our processing of radioactive waste at governmental facilities, and may not apply to liabilities that we might incur while performing services as a contractor for the DOE and the nuclear energy industry. If an incident or evacuation is not covered under PAA indemnification, we could be held liable for damages, regardless of fault, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. If such indemnification authority is not applicable in the future, our business could be adversely affected if the owners and operators of new facilities fail to retain our services in the absence of commercial adequate insurance and indemnification.

Risks Relating to our Financial Performance and Position and Need for Financing

If any of our permits, other intangible assets, and tangible assets becomes impaired, we may be required to record significant charges to earnings.

Under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), we review our intangible and tangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Our permits are tested for impairment at least annually. Factors that may be considered a change in circumstances, indicating that the carrying value of our permit, other intangible assets, and tangible assets may not be recoverable, include a decline in stock price and market capitalization, reduced future cash flow estimates, and slower growth rates in our industry. We may be required, in the future, to record impairment charges in our financial statements, in which any impairment of our permit, other intangible assets and tangible assets is determined. Such impairment charges could negatively impact our results of operations.

Breach of any of the covenants in our credit facility could result in a default, triggering repayment of outstanding debt under the credit facility and the termination of our credit facility.

Our credit facility with our bank contains financial covenants. A breach of any of these covenants could result in a default under our credit facility triggering our lender to immediately require the repayment of all outstanding debt under our credit facility and terminate all commitments to extend further credit. We were not required to perform testing of our fixed charge coverage ratio (“FCCR”) in the first quarter of 2023 but otherwise met all of our other financial covenant requirements. We met all of our covenant requirements in each of the remaining quarters of 2023. In the past, when we failed to meet our minimum FCCR requirement in certain instances, our lender has either waived these instances of non-compliance or provided certain amendments to our FCCR requirements which enabled us to meet our quarterly FCCR requirements. Also, our lender has in the past waived our FCCR testing requirement in certain quarters. If we fail to meet any of our financial covenants going forward, including the minimum quarterly FCCR requirement, and our lender does not waive the non-compliance or revise our covenant requirement so that we are in compliance, our lender could accelerate the payment of our borrowings under our credit facility and terminate our credit facility. In such event, we may not have sufficient liquidity to repay our debt under our credit facility and other indebtedness and/or operate our business.

Inability to borrow under our credit facility could adversely affect our operations.

The maximum we can borrow under the revolving part of our credit facility is based on a percentage of the amount of our eligible receivables outstanding at any one time reduced by outstanding standby letters of credit and any borrowing reduction that our lender has or may impose from time to time. As of December 31, 2023, we had no borrowing under the revolving part of our credit facility and borrowing availability of up to an additional $10,622,000, which included our cash (deposited with our lender) and was based on our eligible receivables and was net of approximately $3,950,000 in outstanding standby letters of credit and a $750,000 indefinite reduction in borrowing availability that our lender imposed. A lack of positive operating results could have material adverse consequences on our ability to operate our business. Our ability to make principal and interest payments, to refinance indebtedness, and borrow under our credit facility will depend on both our and our subsidiaries’ future operating performance and cash flow. Prevailing economic conditions, interest rate levels, and financial, competitive, business, and other factors affect us. Many of these factors are beyond our control.

If our financial and operating activities are limited, it could adversely affect our ability to incur additional debt to fund future needs.

We could, among other things, be:

Any of the foregoing could adversely impact our operating results, financial condition, and liquidity. Our ability to continue our operations depends on our ability to generate profitable operations or complete equity or debt financings to increase our capital.

We may be unable to utilize loss carryforwards in future.

We have approximately $19,450,000 and $72,859,000 in net operating loss carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes, respectively and expires in various amounts starting in 2023 if not used against future federal and state income tax liabilities, respectively. All of our federal net operating loss carryforwards were generated after December 31, 2017 and thus do not expire. Our net loss carryforwards are subject to various limitations. Our ability to use the net loss carryforwards depends on whether we are able to generate sufficient income in the future years. Further, our net loss carryforwards have not been audited or approved by the Internal Revenue Service.

Risks Relating to our Common Stock

Issuance of substantial amounts of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) could depress our stock price or dilute the percentage ownership of our Common Stockholders.

Any sales of substantial amounts of our Common Stock in the public market could cause an adverse effect on the market price of our Common Stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. The issuance of our Common Stock will result in the dilution in the percentage membership interest of our stockholders and the dilution in ownership value. As of December 31, 2023, we had 13,646,559 shares of Common Stock outstanding. In addition, as of December 31, 2023, we had outstanding options to purchase 994,500 shares of our Common Stock at exercise prices ranging from $3.15 to $9.81 per share and an outstanding warrant to purchase 30,000 shares of our Common Stock at exercise price of $3.51 per share. Future sales of the shares issuable could also depress the market price of our Common Stock.

We do not intend to pay dividends on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future.

Since our inception, we have not paid cash dividends on our Common Stock, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Our credit facility prohibits us from paying cash dividends on our Common Stock without prior approval from our lender.

The price of our Common Stock may fluctuate significantly, which may make it difficult for our stockholders to resell our Common Stock when a stockholder wants or at prices a stockholder finds attractive.

The price of our Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market constantly fluctuates. We expect that the market price of our Common Stock will continue to fluctuate. This may make it difficult for our stockholders to resell the Common Stock when a stockholder wants or at prices a stockholder finds attractive.

General Risk Factors

Loss of certain key personnel could have a material adverse effect on us.

Our success depends on the contributions of our key management, environmental and engineering personnel. Our future success depends on our ability to retain and expand our staff of qualified personnel, including environmental specialists and technicians, sales personnel, and engineers. Without qualified personnel, we may incur delays in rendering our services or be unable to render certain services. We cannot be certain that we will be successful in our efforts to attract and retain qualified personnel as their availability is limited due to the demand for hazardous waste management services and the highly competitive nature of the hazardous waste management industry. We do not maintain key person insurance on any of our employees, officers, or directors.

We may not be successful in winning new business mandates from our government, commercial or international customers.

We must be successful in winning mandates from our government, commercial and international customers to replace revenues from projects that we have completed or that are nearing completion and to increase our revenues. Our business and operating results can be adversely affected by the size and timing of a single material contract.

Our failure to maintain our safety record could have an adverse effect on our business.

Our safety record is critical to our reputation. In addition, many of our government and commercial customers require that we maintain certain specified safety record guidelines to be eligible to bid for contracts with these customers. Furthermore, contract terms may provide for automatic termination in the event that our safety record fails to adhere to agreed-upon guidelines during performance of the contract. As a result, our failure to maintain our safety record could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Systems failures, interruptions or breaches of security and other cybersecurity risks could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to certain operational risks to our information systems. Because of efforts on the part of computer hackers and cyberterrorists to breach data security of companies, we face risk associated with potential failures to adequately protect critical corporate, customer and employee data. As part of our business, we develop and retain confidential data about us and our customers, including the U.S. government. We also rely on the services of a variety of vendors to meet our data processing and communications needs.

Despite our implemented security measures and established policies, we cannot be certain that all of our systems are entirely free from vulnerability to attack or other technological difficulties or failures or failures on the part of our employees to follow our established security measures and policies. Information security risks have increased significantly. Our technologies, systems, and networks may become the target of cyber-attacks, computer viruses, malicious code, or information security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss or destruction of our or our customers’ confidential, proprietary and other information and the disruption of our business operations. A security breach could adversely impact our customer relationships, reputation and operations, result in violations of applicable privacy and other laws and/or financial loss to us or to our customers or to our employees, and similar litigation exposure. While we maintain a system of internal controls and procedures, any breach, attack, or failure as discussed above could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations or liquidity.

There is also an increasing attention on the importance of cybersecurity relating to infrastructure. This creates the potential for future developments in regulations relating to cybersecurity that may adversely impact us, our customers and how we offer our services to our customers.

Climate change could negatively impact the Company’s operations and financial condition.

Climate change may present both immediate and long-term risks to the Company and our customers and these risks may increase over time. Climate risks can arise from both physical risks (those risks related to the physical effects of climate change) and transition risks (risks related to governmental regulatory requirements, legal technology, market and reputational changes from a transition to a low carbon economy). Climate change could have a material, adverse effect on environmental companies like ours that are involved in the treatment, disposal and other services related to hazardous waste, radioactive waste and/or mixed (waste that contain both hazardous and radioactive) waste by changing or restricting how we perform our services or what services we can perform or taking action that materially increases our costs to do business in order to regulate or reduce climate change.

We believe our proprietary technology is important to us.

We believe that it is important that we maintain our proprietary technologies. There can be no assurance that our steps to protect our proprietary technologies will be adequate to prevent misappropriation of these technologies by third parties. Such misappropriation could adversely effect our operations and financial condition. Changes to current environmental laws and regulations also could limit the use of our proprietary technology.

Failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting or failure to remediate a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and stock price.

Maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and is important in helping to prevent financial fraud. If we are unable to maintain adequate internal controls, our business and operating results could be harmed. We are required to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of Sarbanes Oxley and the related rules of the Commission, which require, among other things, management to assess annually the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting, there is a reasonable possibility that a misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected in a timely manner. If we cannot produce reliable financial reports, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, the market price of our Common Stock could decline significantly, and our business, financial condition, and reputation could be harmed.

Delaware law, certain of our charter provisions, our stock option plans, outstanding warrants and our Preferred Stock may inhibit a change of control under circumstances that could give you an opportunity to realize a premium over prevailing market prices.

We are a Delaware corporation governed by the General Corporation Law of Delaware, an anti-takeover law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a Delaware public corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. As a result of Section 203, potential acquirers may be discouraged from attempting to effect acquisition transactions with us, thereby possibly depriving our security holders of certain opportunities to sell, or otherwise dispose of, such securities at above-market prices pursuant to such transactions. Further, certain of our option plans provide for the immediate acceleration of, and removal of restrictions from, options and other awards under such plans upon a “change of control” (as defined in the respective plans). Such provisions may also have the result of discouraging acquisition of us.

At December 31, 2023, out of 30,000,000 shares of our Common Stock authorized, we had 13,646,559 shares of common stock outstanding and 7,642 shares of treasury stock. In addition, at December 31, 2023, we had outstanding options to purchase 994,500 shares of our common stock at exercise prices ranging from $3.15 to $9.81 per share, and an outstanding warrant to purchase 30,000 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $3.51 per share. Assuming the issuance of the Common Stock underlying such options and warrant, at December 31, 2023, we had available for future issuance 15,321,299 shares of authorized and unissued Common Stock, and 2,000,000 shares of our preferred stock. Future sales of authorized and unissued shares could be used by our management to make it more difficult for, and thereby discourage, an attempt to acquire control of us.

Third party expectations relating to ESG factors may impose additional costs and expose us and our clients to new risks.

There is an increasing focus from certain investors and certain of our customers, and other stakeholders concerning corporate responsibility, specifically related to ESG factors. Some investors may use these factors to guide their investment strategies and, in some cases, may choose not to invest in us, or otherwise do business with us, if they believe our policies relating to corporate responsibility are inadequate or do not align with theirs. Third party providers of corporate responsibility ratings and reports on companies have increased in number, resulting in varied standards. In addition, the criteria by which companies’ corporate responsibility practices are assessed are evolving, which could result in greater expectations of us and cause us to undertake costly initiatives to satisfy such new criteria. Alternatively, if we elect not to or are unable to satisfy such new criteria or do not meet the criteria of a specific third-party provider, some investors may conclude that our policies with respect to corporate responsibility are inadequate. We may face reputational damage in the event that our corporate responsibility procedures or standards do not meet the standards set by various constituencies. If we fail to satisfy the expectations of investors, our customers and other stakeholders or our initiatives are not executed as planned, our reputation and financial results could be adversely affected and our revenues, results of operations and ability to grow our business may be negatively impacted. Additionally, new legislative or regulatory initiatives related to ESG could adversely affect our business.

Not Applicable.

Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy

The Company recognizes the importance of identifying, assessing, and managing risks associated with cybersecurity threats. The Company’s cybersecurity program utilizes components of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) Cybersecurity Framework. Key components of our cybersecurity program include governance, risk management, access and authentication controls, change management, audit and assessment, awareness and training, contingency planning, recovery, media handling, incident response, personnel and physical security, and communication integrity.

Our program is embedded into Information Technology (“IT”) and Information System (“IS”) operations across the business with a focus on awareness, transparency, minimizing business impacts, and reducing enterprise risk, including strategic, compliance, legal and financial risk. The Company has policies and procedures in place to ensure compliance with its cybersecurity program and cybersecurity controls. Our program relies on a philosophy of continuous improvement by using periodic self-assessments, 3^rd party assessments, and customer/agency audits to determine cyber control presence, applicability, and effectiveness. Our program is customized with additional controls that address financial systems risk, nuclear quality assurance, Sarbanes Oxley, European Union cyber and data protection requirements, and supply chain risks.

Our risk management process addresses confidentiality, availability, and integrity and includes evaluating information systems specific threats, vulnerabilities, likelihood, and potential impact. Impact thresholds, which are reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) and senior management, are used to define incident escalation paths from IT operations to management, the Audit Committee and the Board. This process is used to identify, manage, and communicate material risks to the business. Additional cyber incident reporting requirements are in place to comply with customers and regulatory agency requirements.

Automated threat and vulnerability management systems are in place and updated per industry standards and best practices. Our IT team further manages risk by evaluating external providers of threat, vulnerability, and risk mitigation information. This information is used to proactively implement new methods or controls for reducing risk associated with a particular emerging threat or vulnerability.

The Company’s cybersecurity program is managed by the Vice President (“VP”) of IS, who has been employed by the Company for 20 years and has over 35 years of total experience in information systems. The VP of IS has an extensive career in software development and infrastructure management including working with Fortune 500 companies in his prior positions. The VP of information system is a participant in the overall Company strategic process and has aligned the program to best service the strategic objectives of the business.

Cybersecurity Governance

The Company’s Audit Committee has oversight responsibility for risks and incidents relating to cybersecurity threats. Our senior management is responsible for the day-to-day management of the material risks we face. Our VP Of Information System is scheduled to report to the CFO on a weekly basis and the Audit Committee on a quarterly basis on cybersecurity matters to include updates on cybersecurity threat management, strategy processes, system updates and cybersecurity risks activities, including but not limited to any recent cybersecurity incidents and related responses. Our Board is also engaged in discussion with senior management and the Audit Committee at least on a quarterly basis on cybersecurity matters to discuss any updates to our cybersecurity risk management and strategy program. Each member of our Board has a working knowledge and/or experience with cybersecurity, IT strategy and IT risk assessment.

In the past 2 years, the Company does not believe that it has experienced any material cybersecurity incidents, nor any material costs related to immaterial cyber incidents. Although we have a comprehensive process for the prevention of material cybersecurity incidents as discussed, we cannot provide assurance that our results of operations and financial condition and business strategy will not be materially impacted from cybersecurity risks in the future. For more information on our cybersecurity related risk and potential effects on the Company of a material cybersecurity breach, see under “General Risk Factors” in “Item 1A. Risk Factors”

Our principal executive office is in Atlanta, Georgia. Our Business Center is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Our Treatment Segment facilities are located in Gainesville, Florida; Kingston, Tennessee; Richland, Washington; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. All of the properties where these facilities operate on are pledged to our senior lender as collateral for our credit facility with the exception of the property at Oak Ridge, Tennessee which is leased. Our Services Segment maintains offices, which are all leased properties. We maintain properties in Valdosta, Georgia and Memphis, Tennessee, which are all non-operational and are included within our discontinued operations.

The Company currently leases properties in the following locations for operations and administrative functions within our Treatment and Services Segments, including our corporate office and Business Center:

We believe that the above facilities currently provide adequate capacity for our operations and that additional facilities are readily available in the regions in which we operate, which could support and supplement our existing facilities.

See “Part II – Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Note 14 – Commitments and Contingencies – Legal Matters” for a discussion of our legal proceedings.

Not Applicable.

PART II

Our Common Stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “PESI.” The following table sets forth the high and low market trade prices quoted for the Common Stock during the periods shown. The source of such quotations and information is the NASDAQ online trading history reports.

At February 12, 2024, there were approximately 121 stockholders of record of our Common Stock. The actual number of our stockholders is greater than this number, and includes beneficial owners whose shares are held in “street name” by banks, brokers, and other nominees.

Since our inception, we have not paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock and have no dividend policy. Our Loan Agreement dated May 8, 2020, as amended, prohibits us from paying any cash dividends on our Common Stock without prior approval from our lender. We do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our outstanding Common Stock in the foreseeable future.

No sales of unregistered securities occurred during the first three quarters of 2023. On December 12, 2023, the Company issued 30,000 shares of its Common Stock resulting from the exercise of a Warrant for the purchase of up to 30,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock at an exercise price of $3.51 per share, resulting in proceeds received by the Company of approximately $105,000. See “Warrant” in “Note 6 - Capital Stock, Stock Plans, Warrants, and Stock Based Compensation” in “Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for further discussion of this warrant exercise.

There were no purchases made by us or on behalf of us or any of our affiliated members of shares of our Common Stock during 2023.

See “Note 6 - Capital Stock, Stock Plans, Warrants, and Stock Based Compensation” in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and “Equity Compensation Plans” in Part III, Item 12, “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholders Matter” for securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans which are incorporated herein by reference.

Certain statements contained within this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” (“MD&A”) may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (collectively, the “Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995”). See “Special Note regarding Forward-Looking Statements” contained in this report.

Management’s discussion and analysis is based, among other things, our audited consolidated financial statements and includes our accounts and the accounts of our wholly-owned subsidiaries. Our 2022 consolidated financial statements also included the accounts of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which we were the primary beneficiary. During the fourth quarter of 2022, project work under this VIE was completed.

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in Item 8 of this report.

Overview

We experienced significant improvement in our 2023 financial results as the lingering effects of COVID-19 began to subside starting in the early part of 2022. Our Treatment Segment continued to see steady improvements in waste receipts from certain customers who had previously delayed waste shipments due, in part, from the impact of COVID-19. Within our Services Segment, certain projects which were delayed/curtailed in first part of 2022 due, in part, from the lingering effects of the COVID-19, achieved full operational status and improved productivity in 2023 which positively impacted revenue. Revenue from both of our Segments were also positively impacted from contracts won in 2023 as procurement and planning on behalf of our government clients continued to progress as the lingering effects of COVID-19 pandemic subsided.

Revenue increased by $19,136,000 or 27.1% to $89,735,000 for the twelve-months ended December 31, 2023, from $70,599,000 for the corresponding period of 2022. We saw increases in both Segments where Treatment Segment revenue increased by $10,119,000 or 30.3% to $43,477,000 from $33,358,000 and Services Segment revenue increased by $9,017,000 or 24.2% to $46,258,000 from $37,241,000. The increase in revenue in the Treatment Segment was primarily due to overall higher waste volume which was offset by lower averaged price from waste mix. The increase in revenue in the Services Segment was primarily due to achievement of full operational status and improved productivity on certain projects which had been delayed/curtailed in 2022 due, in part, from the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Total gross profit for 2023 increased $6,760,000 or 70.4% due to increased revenue. Selling, General, and Administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased $323,000 or 2.2% for the twelve-months ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding period of 2022.

In March 2023, we received the Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”) of $1,975,000 that we applied for during the third quarter of 2022 as permitted under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Securities Act, as amended (the “CARES Act”). In addition to the $1,975,000, we also received approximately $60,000 in interest (recorded within “Interest Income” on our Consolidated Statements of Operations).

We believe we have sufficient liquidity on hand to continue business operations during the next twelve months. See a discussion of our liquidity overview within this MD&A – “Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

Heading into 2024, we expect to see overall continue steady improvements in waste receipts and increases in project work from certain existing contracts, contracts won in 2023, and bids submitted in both segments that are awaiting awards. However, due to our operations which is subject to seasonal factor, we generally experience lower revenue in the first quarter due to overall reduced activities by our customers from the usual slowdown in operations due, in part, from returning from the holiday periods and poorer weather conditions. Additionally, due to Congress’s inability to timely approve FY 2024 budget and the extension of the continuing resolution, certain of our government related customers have informed us that waste shipments will likely be delayed. Although we expect to see overall improvements in revenue in 2024 as disclosed above, if Congress is unable to enact the full FY 2024 appropriation bills or further extend the continuing resolutions to fund government spending by the late March deadline, the U.S. government will enter into a partial shutdown. The full impact of any additional continued resolution beyond March or a partial government shutdown is uncertain. If a partial government shutdown were to occur and were to continue an extended period, our financial results of operations could be negatively impacted by delays in procurement actions, waste shipments and project delays on newly awarded projects.

Business Environment

Our Treatment and Services Segments’ business continues to be heavily dependent on services that we provide to governmental clients, primarily as subcontractors for others who are prime contractors to government entities or directly as the prime contractor. We believe demand for our services will continue to be subject to fluctuations due to a variety of factors beyond our control, including, without limitation, the economic conditions and the manner in which the applicable government will be required to spend funding to remediate various sites and a potential partial government shutdown. In addition, our governmental contracts and subcontracts relating to activities at governmental sites in the United States are generally subject to termination for convenience at any time at the government’s option. Significant reductions in the level of governmental funding or specifically mandated levels for different programs that are important to our business could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

We are continually reviewing methods to raise additional capital to supplement our liquidity requirements, when needed, and reducing our operating costs. We continue to aggressively bid on various contracts, including potential contracts within the international markets. On December 18, 2023, the JV where we and Campoverde Srl (“JV partner”) each owns 50% of the partnership, was awarded a multi-year contract valued up to approximately EUR 50 million by the European Commission (the “Contracting Authority”) for the treatment of radioactive waste from the Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy. Work under this JV has not started as of December 31, 2023. The scope of work to be performed in the initial phases of this contract will be performed predominately by our JV partner. Revenue generated by us under the initial phases will be limited to project management support through 2025. We expect to generate an increase in revenue under this contract starting in 2026 when the waste treatment phases begin. The Contracting Authority may terminate the contract under certain conditions as set forth in the contract. Once activities commence under this JV, we will consolidate the operations of this JV into our financial statements.

Results of Operations

The reporting of financial results and pertinent discussions are tailored to our two reportable segments: The Treatment Segment and Services Segment.

Summary - Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022

Below are the results of continuing operations for years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022 (amounts in thousands):

Revenue

Consolidated revenues increased $19,136,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, as follows:

¹⁾ Includes wastes generated by government clients of $2,943,000 and $2,380,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively.

Treatment Segment revenue increased by $10,119,000 or 30.3% for the twelve-months ended December 31, 2023 over the same period in 2022. The overall increase was primarily due to higher waste volume offset by lower averaged price from waste mix. As previously disclosed, starting in the latter part of the second quarter of 2022, our Treatment Segment began to see steady improvements in waste receipts from certain customers who had previously delayed waste shipments due, in part, from the lingering effects of COVID-19. Services Segment revenue increased by approximately $9,017,000 or 24.2%. primarily due to achievement of full operational status and improved productivity on certain projects which had been delayed/curtailed in the early part of 2022 due, in part, from the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Services Segment revenues are project-based; as such, the scope, duration, and completion of each project vary. As a result, our Services Segment revenues are subject to differences relating to timing and project value. Revenues from both of our segments were also positively impacted from contracts won in 2023.

Cost of Goods Sold

Cost of goods sold increased $12,376,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, as follows:

Cost of goods sold for the Treatment Segment increased by approximately $8,486,000 or 30.2%. Treatment Segment’s variable costs increased by approximately $6,189,000 primarily due to higher material and supplies, disposal, lab, outside services costs and higher employee incentives. Treatment Segment’s overall fixed costs were higher by approximately $2,297,000 resulting from the following: salaries and payroll related expenses were higher by approximately $1,483,000 due to higher headcount; depreciation expenses were higher by approximately $393,000 due to depreciation for asset retirement obligations in connection with our EWOC facility; general expenses were higher by approximately $279,000 primarily due to higher utility costs; maintenance costs were higher by approximately $235,000; travel expenses were higher by approximately $90,000; and regulatory expenses were lower by approximately $183,000. Services Segment cost of goods sold increased $3,890,000 or 11.8% due to higher revenue. The overall increase in cost of goods sold was primarily due to the following: aggregated higher salaries/payroll related, outside services, and travel costs totaling approximately $4,356,000; higher depreciation expenses of $63,000; lower material and supplies, lab, regulatory and disposal expenses totaling approximately $444,000; and lower general expenses by approximately $85,000 in various categories. Included within cost of goods sold is depreciation and amortization expense of $2,484,000 and $2,027,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

Gross Profit

Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2023, was $6,760,000 higher than 2022 as follows:

Treatment Segment gross profit increased by $1,633,000 or 31.1% primarily due to higher revenue as discussed previously. Despite the slight increase in gross margin, Treatment Segment gross margin was negatively impacted by higher variable costs from waste mix and the impact of overall increase in fixed costs. Services Segment gross profit increased by $5,127,000 or 117.4% and gross margin increased from 11.7% to 20.5% primarily due to higher revenue and improved margin projects. Our overall Services Segment gross margin is impacted by our current projects which are competitively bid and therefore have varying margin structures.

SG&A

SG&A expenses increased $323,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding period for 2022 as follows:

Administrative SG&A expenses were higher primarily due to the following: payroll-related expenses were higher by approximately $660,000 primarily due to higher accrued employee incentives (including our management incentive plans (“MIPs”)) and higher 401(k) matching expenses as payroll expenses in 2022 included more forfeitures of 401(k) plan matching funds contributed by us for former employees who failed to meet the 401(k) plan vesting requirements; outside services expenses were lower by approximately $256,000 as a result of fewer audit/consulting matters; and general expenses were lower by approximately $56,000 in various categories. Treatment Segment SG&A expenses were lower primarily due to the following: outside services expenses were lower by approximately $110,000 due to fewer consulting matters; salaries and payroll related expenses were lower by approximately $212,000; travel expenses were lower by approximately $24,000; and general expenses were higher by approximately $176,000 in various categories. The increase in SG&A expenses within our Services Segment was primarily due to the following: salaries/payroll-related expenses were higher by approximately $92,000 due to more administrative support functions required as the result of higher revenue; travel expenses were higher by approximately $43,000; credit losses on accounts receivable were higher by approximately $59,000, as in the first quarter of 2022 our Services Segment collected on certain accounts that were previously deemed to be uncollectible; outside services expenses were lower by approximately $41,000 due to fewer consulting matters; and general expenses were lower slightly by $8,000. Included in SG&A expenses is depreciation and amortization expense of $84,000 and $82,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Interest Income

Interest income increased by approximately $507,000 for the twelve-months ended December 31, 2023, respectively, as compared to the corresponding period of 2022 primarily due to higher interest earned from the finite risk sinking fund. Interest income for 2023 also included approximately $60,000 received in March 2023 under the ERC program under the CARES Act.

Interest Expense

Interest expense increased by approximately $148,000 for the twelve-months ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding period of 2022 due to interest incurred on the new $2,500,000 term loan dated July 31, 2023, under our credit facility. Interest expense was also higher in 2023 from higher interest rate on our term loan dated May 8, 2020, which was offset by the declining term loan balance. Additionally, the increase in interest expense in 2023 was also the result of interest incurred from advances made in May of 2022 from the capital line under our credit facility.

Income Taxes

We had income tax expense of $17,000 and income tax benefit of $378,000 for continuing operations for the twelve-months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Our effective tax rates were approximately 1.8% and 10.5% for the twelve- month ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Our effective tax rates for the twelve-months ended December 31, 2023, and 2022 were impacted by non-deductible expenses and state taxes.

Backlog

Our Treatment Segment maintains a backlog of stored waste, which represents waste that has not been processed. The backlog is principally a result of the timing and complexity of the waste being brought into the facilities and the selling price per container. As of December 31, 2023, our Treatment Segment had a backlog of approximately $8,702,000, as compared to approximately $9,156,000 as of December 31, 2022. Additionally, the time it takes to process waste from the time it arrives may increase due to the types and complexities of the waste we are currently receiving. We typically process our backlog during periods of low waste receipts, which historically has been in the first or fourth quarters.

Discontinued Operations and Environmental Contingencies

Our discontinued operations consist of all our subsidiaries included in our Industrial Segment which encompasses subsidiaries divested in 2011 and earlier, as well as three previously closed locations.

Our discontinued operations had no revenue for the twelve-months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. We incurred net losses of $433,000 (net of tax benefit of $117,000) and $605,000 (net of tax benefit of $199,000) for our discontinued operations for the twelve-months ended December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively. In 2022, we incurred additional costs in connection with management of administrative and regulatory matters related to our remediation projects. We have three environmental remediation projects, all within our discontinued operations, which principally entail the removal/remediation of contaminated soil, and, in most cases, the remediation of surrounding ground water.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our cash flow requirements during the twelve-months ended December 31, 2023, were primarily financed by our operations, cash on hand (which included the ERC, along with interest, that we received in March 2023 and proceeds from a new term loan dated July 31, 2023, in the amount of $2,500,000 provided to us under an amendment to our existing credit facility), and credit facility availability. Our cash flow requirements for the next twelve months will consist primarily of general working capital needs, scheduled principal payments on our debt obligations, remediation projects, and planned capital expenditures. We plan to fund these requirements from our operations, credit facility availability, cash on hand and collections of unpaid receivables (See “Known Trends and Uncertainties – Perma-Fix Canada, Inc. (“PF Canada”)” for a discussion of unpaid receivables due to our Perma-Fix Canada, Inc. subsidiary from a certain customer in which a settlement agreement has been reached, subject to meeting certain conditions/terms precedent and a partial payment received in January 2024). Our ability to utilize our credit facility from our lender is subject to meeting our quarterly financial covenant requirements, among other things. We continue to explore all sources of increasing our capital and/or liquidity and to improve our revenue and working capital, including, but not limited to entering into equity transactions. There are no assurances that we will be successful in increasing our liquidity through our efforts. We are continually reviewing operating costs and reviewing the possibility of further reducing operating costs and non-essential expenditures to bring them in line with revenue levels, when necessary. As of December 31, 2023, our borrowing availability under our revolving part of our credit facility was approximately $10,622,000, which included our cash (deposited with our lender) and was based on our eligible receivables and was net of approximately $3,950,000 in outstanding standby letters of credit and a $750,000 indefinite reduction in borrowing availability that our lender imposed pursuant to the July 31, 2023 amendment of our Loan Agreement. We believe that our cash flows from operations, our available liquidity from our credit facility, and our cash on hand should be sufficient to fund our operations for the next twelve months.

The following table reflects the cash flow activity for the year ended December 31, 2023, and the corresponding period of 2022:

As of December 31, 2023, we were in a positive cash position with no revolving credit balance. As of December 31, 2023, we had cash on hand of approximately $7,500,000.

Operating Activities

Accounts receivable, net of credit losses, totaled $9,722,000 as of December 31, 2023, an increase of $358,000 from the December 31, 2022, balance of $9,364,000. The increase was attributed to increased revenue, timing of invoicing, and our accounts receivable collection. Our contracts with our customers are subject to various payment terms and conditions. Our accounts receivable at December 31, 2023, included invoices for work performed for a certain Canadian project that remained outstanding which a settlement agreement has been reached, subject to meeting certain conditions/terms precedent (See discussion under “Known Trends and Uncertainties - Perma-Fix Canada Inc. (“PF Canada”)” below for a discussion of the accounts receivable and a partial payment made by the customer on January 22, 2024).

Prepaid and other assets totaled $3,738,000 as of December 31, 2023, a decrease of $1,667,000 from the December 31, 2022, balance of $5,405,000. The decrease was primarily due to receipt of the ERC of $1,975,000 in March 2023 that we applied for during the third quarter of 2022.

Accounts payable totaled $9,582,000 as of December 31, 2023, a decrease of $743,000 from the December 31, 2022, balance of $10,325,000. Our accounts payable are impacted by the timing of payments as we are continually managing payment terms with our vendors to maximize our cash position throughout our segments.

Accrued expenses totaled $6,560,000 as of December 31, 2023, an increase of $1,967,000 from the December 31, 2022, balance of $4,593,000. The increase was primarily due to higher employee incentive and commission accruals totaling approximately $1,346,000. Our employee incentive accruals included an aggregate of approximately $750,000 recorded under our 2023 Management Incentive Plans (“MIPs”) for our executives.

We had working capital of $4,613,000 (which included working capital of our discontinued operations) as of December 31, 2023, as compared to working capital of $818,000 as of December 31, 2022. The improvement in our working capital was primarily due to increases in our cash and unbilled receivables from improved operations. In 2023, our cash was also increased from the receipt of the ERC in March 2023 and the additional Term Loan 2 dated July 31, 2023, that we entered into with our lender under our Loan Agreement (see a discussion of the Term Loan 2 below under “Financing Activities). The overall improvement in our working capital was offset by the increases in our accrued expenses and deferred revenues.

See discussion of a multi-year contract valued up to approximately EUR 50 million awarded to us and our JV partner by the European Commission on December 18, 2023, for the treatment of radioactive waste from the Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy under “Business Environment” within this MD&A.

Investing Activities

During 2023, our purchases of capital equipment totaled approximately $2,498,000, of which $784,000 was subject to financing, with the remaining funded from cash from operations and our credit facility. We have budgeted approximately $2,000,000 for 2024 capital expenditures primarily for our Treatment and Services Segments to maintain operations and regulatory compliance requirements and support revenue growth. Certain of these budgeted projects may either be delayed until later years or deferred altogether. We plan to fund our capital expenditures from cash from operations, collections of unpaid receivables, borrowing availability under our credit facility and/or financing. The initiation and timing of projects are also determined by financing alternatives or funds available for such capital projects.

During March 2022, we signed a non-binding joint venture term sheet addressing plans to partner with Springfields Fuels Limited (“SFL”), an affiliate of Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, to develop and manage a nuclear waste-materials treatment facility (the “Facility”) in the United Kingdom. The Facility is for the purpose of expanding the partners’ waste treatment capabilities for the European nuclear market. It is expected that upon finalization of a partnership agreement, SFL will have an ownership interest of fifty-five (55) percent and our interest will be forty-five (45) percent. The finalization, form and capitalization of this unpopulated partnership is subject to numerous conditions, including but not limited to, completion and execution of a definitive agreement and facility design, granting of required regulatory, lender or permitting approvals and updated cost and profitability analysis based on current and forecast future economic conditions. Upon finalization of this venture, we will be required to make an investment in this venture. The amount of our investment, the period of which it is to be made and the method of funding are to be determined.

Financing Activities

We entered into a Second Amended and Restated Revolving Credit, Term Loan and Security Agreement, dated May 8, 2020 (“Loan Agreement”), with PNC National Association (“PNC” and “lender”), acting as agent and lender. The Loan Agreement, as amended (including the two amendments that we entered into with our lender in 2023 described below), provides us with the following credit facility with a maturity date of May 15, 2027: (a) up to $12,500,000 revolving credit (“revolving credit”), with the maximum that we can borrow under the revolving credit based on a percentage of eligible receivables (as defined) at any one time reduced by outstanding standby letters of credit and borrowing reductions that our lender may impose from time to time; (b) a term loan (“Term Loan 1”) dated May 8, 2020, of approximately $1,742,000, requiring monthly installments of $35,547; (c) a term loan (“Term Loan 2”) of $2,500,000 dated July 31, 2023, requiring monthly installments of $41,667; and (d) a capital expenditure line (“Capital Line”) of up to $1,000,000 with advances on the line, subject to certain limitations, permitted for up to twelve months starting May 4, 2021 (the “Borrowing Period”), with interest only payable on advances during the Borrowing Period. Amounts advanced under the Capital Line at the end of the Borrowing Period totaled approximately $524,000, requiring monthly installments of principal of approximately $8,700 plus interest, commencing June 1, 2022.

On March 21, 2023, we entered into an amendment to our Loan Agreement, as amended, with our lender which provided, among other things, the following:

In connection with the March 2023 amendment, we paid our lender a fee of $25,000 which is being amortized over the remaining term of the Loan Agreement, as amended, as interest expense-financing fees.

On July 31, 2023, we entered into a further amendment of the Loan Agreement, as amended, with our lender which provided, among other things, the following:

At maturity of the Loan Agreement, as amended, any unpaid principal balance plus interest, if any, will become due.

Pursuant to the amendment dated July 31, 2023, we have agreed to pay PNC 1.0% of the total financing under the Loan Agreement, as amended, in the event we pay off our obligations on or before July 31, 2024, and 0.5% of the total financing if we pay off our obligations after July 31, 2024, to and including July 31, 2025. No early termination fee shall apply if we pay off our obligations under the amended Loan Agreement after July 31, 2025.

In connection with amendment dated July 31, 2023, we paid our lender a fee of $100,000 which is being amortized over the remaining term of the Loan Agreement, as amended, as interest expense-financing fees.

Pursuant to the Loan Agreement, as amended, the annual rate of interest due on the revolving credit is at prime plus 2% or SOFR plus 3.00% plus an SOFR Adjustment applicable for an interest period selected by us. The annual rate of interest due on Term Loan 1 and the Capital line is at prime plus 2.50% or SOFR plus 3.50% plus an SOFR Adjustment applicable for an interest period selected by us. SOFR Adjustment rates of 0.10% and 0.15% are applicable for a one-month interest period and three-month period, respectively, that may be selected by us. See payment of annual rate of interest due on Term Loan 2 under the amendment dated July 31, 2023, as discussed above.

Our credit facility under our Loan Agreement, as amended, contains certain financial covenants, along with customary representations and warranties. A breach of any of these financial covenants, unless waived by our lender, could result in a default under our credit facility allowing our lender to immediately require the repayment of all outstanding debt under our credit facility and terminate all commitments to extend further credit. We were not required to perform testing of the FCCR requirement in the first quarter of 2023 pursuant to the March 21, 2023, amendment as discussed above. We otherwise met all of our other financial covenant requirements. We met all of our covenant requirements in each of the second to fourth quarters of 2023 and we expect to meet our covenant requirements in the next twelve months.

On May 19, 2023, we filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), which was declared effective by the Commission on June 1, 2023. The shelf registration statement gives us the ability to sell up to 2,500,000 shares of our Common Stock from time to time and through one or more methods of distribution, subject to market conditions and our capital needs at that time. The terms of any offering under the registration statement will be established at the time of the offering and be set forth in an accompanying prospectus or prospectus supplement relating to the offering. At this time, we do not have any immediate plans or current commitments to issue shares under the registration statement. This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be a sale of securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

From time to time, we are required to post standby letters of credit and various bonds to support contractual obligations to customers and other obligations, including facility closures. At December 31, 2023, the total amount of standby letters of credit outstanding totaled approximately $3,950,000 and the total amount of bonds outstanding totaled approximately $36,674,000. We also provide closure and post-closure requirements through a financial assurance policy for certain of our Treatment Segment facilities through American International Group, Inc. (“AIG”). At December 31, 2023, the closure and post-closure requirements for these facilities were approximately $22,461,000.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared based upon the selection and application of US GAAP, which may require us to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes. The accounting policies below are those we believe affect the more significant estimates and judgments used in preparation of our financial statements. Our other accounting policies are described in the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements of this Form 10-K (see “Item 8 – Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies”):

Revenues. Our revenues are generated from our two segments, Treatment and Services. Certain contracts within our Services Segment are generated from long-term fixed price contracts. Under fixed price contracts, the objective of the project is not attained unless all scope items within the contract are completed and all of the services promised within fixed fee contracts constitute a single performance obligation. Transaction price is estimated based upon the estimated cost to complete the overall project. Revenue from fixed price contracts is recognized over time primarily using the input method. For the input method, revenue is recognized based on costs incurred on the project relative to the total estimated costs of the project.

Our contracts generally do not give rise to variable consideration. However, from time to time, we may submit requests for equitable adjustments under certain of our government contracts for price or other modifications that are determined to be variable consideration. We estimate the amount of variable consideration to include in the estimated transaction price based on historical experience with government contracts, anticipated performance and management’s best judgment at the time and to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. These estimates are re-assessed each reporting period as required.