Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our cash flow requirements during 2018 were primarily financed by our operations and credit facility availability. We generated positive cash flow from our operations of approximately $1,960,000, which included cash outlays of approximately $5,400,000 in operating and closure spending for our M&EC facility, which is in closure status. 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, planned capital expenditures, and remaining spending requirements in connection with the closure of our M&EC facility. We plan to fund these requirements from our operations, credit facility availability and proceeds of approximately $2,500,000 from a loan that was consummated on April 1, 2019 (see “Financing Activities” below for further information of the agreement and note). Additionally, as a result of the M&EC facility closure, we expect to receive, by the end of the second quarter of 2019, a release of approximately $5,000,000 of the $15,971,000 restricted finite risk sinking funds held by American International Group (“AIG”) as collateral under the financial assurance policy dated June 2003 that we currently have with AIG. The release of this finite risk sinking fund is subject to approval from AIG and the appropriate regulators, and, when released, we expect will further enhance our liquidity and improve our working capital deficit. We continue to explore all sources of increasing revenue. We are continually reviewing operating costs and are committed to further reducing operating costs to bring them in line with revenue levels, when necessary. Although there are no assurances, we believe that our cash flows from operations, our available liquidity from our credit facility and loan proceeds of $2,500,000 received from the loan described below should be sufficient to fund our operations for the next twelve months. Additionally, the finite risk sinking funds that we expect to receive as a result of the M&EC facility closure as discussed above will provide additional funding for our operations as needed and improve our working capital. As previously disclosed, our Medical Segment substantially reduced its R&D activities due to the need for capital to fund such activities. We continue to seek various sources of potential funding for our Medical Segment. We anticipate that our Medical Segment will not resume full R&D activities until it obtains the necessary funding through obtaining its own credit facility or additional equity raise or obtaining new partners willing to fund its R&D activities. If the Medical Segment is unable to raise the necessary capital, the Medical Segment could be required to further reduce, delay or eliminate its R&D program.

The following table reflects the cash flow activity for the year ended December 31, 2018 and the corresponding period of 2017:

At December 31, 2018, we were in a net borrowing position (revolving credit) of approximately $639,000. At December 31, 2018, we had cash on hand of approximately $810,000, which reflects primarily account balances of our foreign subsidiaries totaling approximately $806,000.

Operating Activities

Accounts receivable, net of allowances for doubtful accounts, totaled $7,735,000 at December 31, 2018, a decrease of $205,000 from the December 31, 2017 balance of $7,940,000. The decrease was primarily due to timing of invoicing and timing of accounts receivable collection. We provide a variety of payment terms to our customers; therefore, our accounts receivable are impacted by these terms and the related timing of accounts receivable collections.

Accounts payable, totaled $5,497,000 at December 31, 2018, an increase of $1,960,000 from the December 31, 2017 balance of $3,537,000. The increase in accounts payable was attributed to closure related expenses for our M&EC facility which are pending payment. Additionally, 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 all segments.

Disposal/transportation accrual at December 31, 2018, totaled $1,542,000, a decrease of $529,000 over the December 31, 2017 balance of $2,071,000. Our disposal accrual can vary based on revenue mix and the timing of waste shipments for final disposal. During 2018, we shipped more waste for disposal than 2017.

We had a working capital deficit of $6,753,000 (which included working capital of our discontinued operations) at December 31, 2018 as compared to a working capital deficit of $2,268,000 at December 31, 2017. The additional accrual of $3,323,000 in closure costs we recorded in 2018 in connection with the closure of our M&EC facility negatively impacted our working capital. Additionally, our working capital was also negatively impacted by the increase of our unearned revenue. The loan proceeds of $2,500,000 that we received from a loan agreement consummated on April 1, 2019 as discussed below has improved our working capital deficit. Additionally, we anticipate that cash flows to be generated from our operations and the release of the restricted finite sinking funds by AIG of $5,000,000 which we anticipate to receive upon the closure of our M&EC facility as discussed above, will provide further improvement to our working capital deficit.

Investing Activities

During 2018, our purchases of capital equipment totaled approximately $1,977,000, of which $545,000 was financed, with the remaining funded from cash from operations and our credit facility. These expenditures were made primarily for our Treatment Segment. We have budgeted approximately $1,500,000 for 2019 capital expenditures for our Treatment and Services Segments to maintain operations and regulatory compliance requirements and continued footprint expansion for one of our Treatment Segment facilities. Certain of these budgeted projects may either be delayed until later years or deferred altogether. We have traditionally incurred actual capital spending totals for a given year at less than the initial budgeted amount. We plan to fund our capital expenditures from cash from operations and/or financing. The initiation and timing of projects are also determined by financing alternatives or funds available for such capital projects.

Financing Activities

We entered into an Amended and Restated Revolving Credit, Term Loan and Security Agreement, dated October 31, 2011 (“Amended Loan Agreement”), with PNC National Association (“PNC”), acting as agent and lender. The Amended Loan Agreement, as subsequently amended (“Revised Loan Agreement”), provides us with the following credit facility with a maturity date of March 24, 2021: (a) up to $12,000,000 revolving credit (“revolving credit”) and (b) a term loan (“term loan”) of approximately $6,100,000, which requires monthly installments of approximately $101,600 (based on a seven-year amortization). The maximum that we can borrow under the revolving credit is 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.

Under the Revised Loan Agreement, we have the option of paying an annual rate of interest due on the revolving credit at prime (5.50% at December 31, 2018) plus 2% or London Inter Bank Offer Rate (“LIBOR”) plus 3% and the term loan at prime plus 2.5% or LIBOR plus 3.5%.

Pursuant to the Revised Loan Agreement, we may terminate the Revised Loan Agreement, upon 90 days’ prior written notice upon payment in full of our obligations under the Revised Loan Agreement. We agree to pay PNC 0.25% of the total financing if we pay off our obligations after March 23, 2018 but prior to or on March 23, 2019. No early termination fee shall apply if we pay off our obligations after March 23, 2019.

At December 31, 2018, the borrowing availability under our revolving credit was $2,368,000, based on our eligible receivables and includes an indefinite reduction of borrowing availability of $1,000,000 that our lender has imposed. Our borrowing availability under our revolving credit was also reduced by outstanding standby letters of credit totaling approximately $2,648,000. Previously, our lender had imposed an indefinite reduction of borrowing availability of $2,000,000; however, on July 26, 2018, we entered into an amendment to our Revised Loan Agreement with our lender which provided, among other things, for the release of $1,000,000 of the $2,000,000 reduction in borrowing availability by our lender. The release of this $1,000,000 in borrowing availability reduction was used for working capital purposes.

On March 29, 2019, we entered into another amendment to our Revised Loan Agreement with our lender under the credit facility which provided the following:

Most of the other terms of the Revised Loan Agreement remain principally unchanged. In connection with this amendment, we paid our lender a fee of $20,000.

Our credit facility with our lender 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. The following table illustrates the most significant quarterly financial covenant requirements under our credit facility at December 31, 2018.

We met our financial covenant requirements in 2018 with the exception of our minimum quarterly FCCR requirement for the fourth quarter of 2018; however, our lender waived this non-compliance as discussed above. As a result of the amendment discussed above which provides for further amendments to our quarterly FCCR requirements, we expect to meet our financial covenant requirements in the next twelve months; however, if we fail to meet any of our financial covenant requirements and our lender does not further waive the non-compliance or revise our covenant so that we are in compliance, our lender could accelerate the repayment of borrowings under our credit facility. In the event that our lender accelerates the payment of our borrowings, we may not have sufficient liquidity to repay our debt under our credit facility and other indebtedness.

On April 1, 2019, we completed a lending transaction with Robert Ferguson (the “Lender”), whereby we borrowed from the Lender the sum of $2,500,000 pursuant to the terms of a Loan and Security Purchase Agreement and promissory note (the “Loan”). The Lender is a shareholder of the Company. The Lender also currently serves as a consultant to the Company’s PFNWR subsidiary (see “Related Party Transactions – Robert Ferguson” for further information). The proceeds from the Loan will be used for general working capital purposes. The Loan is unsecured, with a term of two years with interest payable at a fixed interest rate of 4.00% per annum. The Loan provides for monthly payments of accrued interest only during the first year of the Loan, with the first interest payment due May 1, 2019 and monthly payments of approximately $208,333 in principal plus accrued interest starting in the second year of the Loan. The Loan also provides for prepayment of principal payments over the term of the Loan without penalty. In connection with the above Loan, the Lender entered into a Subordination Agreement with our credit facility lender, whereby the Lender agreed to subordinate payment under the Loan, and agreed that the Loan will be junior in right of payment to the credit facility in the event of default or bankruptcy or other insolvency proceeding by us. As consideration for us receiving the Loan, we issued a Warrant to the Lender to purchase up to 60,000 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $3.51, which was the closing bid price for a share of our Common Stock on NASDAQ.com immediately preceding the execution of the Loan and Warrant. The Warrant is exercisable six months from April 1, 2019 and expires on April 1, 2024. As further consideration for the Loan, we also will issue 75,000 shares of our Common Stock, to the Lender. The 75,000 shares of Common Stock and 60,000 Common Stock purchase warrant will be and was issued in a private placement that was exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and bear a restrictive legend against resale except in a transaction registered under the Securities Act or in a transaction exempt from registration thereunder.

Upon default, the Lender will have the right to elect to receive in full and complete satisfaction of our obligations under the Loan either: (a) the cash amount equal to the sum of the unpaid principal balance owing under the loan and all accrued and unpaid interest thereon (the “Payoff Amount”) or (b) upon meeting certain conditions, the number of whole shares of our Common Stock (the “Payoff Shares”) determined by dividing the Payoff Amount by the dollar amount equal to the closing bid price of our Common Stock on the date immediately prior to the date of default, as reported or quoted on the primary nationally recognized exchange or automated quotation system on which our Common Stock is listed; provided however, that the dollar amount of such closing bid price shall not be less than $3.51, the closing bid price for our Common Stock as disclosed on NASDAQ.com immediately preceding the signing of this loan agreement.

If issued, the Payoff Shares will not be registered and the Lender will not be entitled to registration rights with respect to the Payoff Shares. The aggregate number of shares, warrant shares, and Payoff Shares that are or will be issued to the Lender pursuant to the Loan, together with the aggregate shares of our Common Stock and other voting securities owned by the Lender as of the date of issuance of the Payoff Shares, shall not exceed the number of shares of our Common Stock equal to 14.9% of the number of shares of our Common Stock issued and outstanding as of the date immediately prior to the default, less the number of shares of our Common Stock owned by the Lender immediately prior to the date of such default plus the number of shares of our Common Stock that may be acquired by the Lender under warrants and/or options outstanding immediately prior to the date of such default.

We are currently evaluating the accounting treatment of this transaction and the impact to our financial statements.

M&EC Series B Preferred Stock

The 1,284,730 shares of the non-voting Series B Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock”) of our consolidated wholly-owned subsidiary, M&EC, were exchanged by us for our Common Stock in a private exchange offer exempt from registration (the “Exchange Offer”). Holders of shares of M&EC Series B Preferred Stock were entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by M&EC’s Board of Directors (“Board”) out of funds legally available for payment, cumulative dividends at the rate per annum of 5% per share on the liquidation preference of $1.00 per share of Series B Preferred Stock. Dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock accrued without interest beginning one year from the date of original issuance (June 25, 2001), and was payable in cash, if, when, and as declared by M&EC Board, quarterly each year commencing on the first dividend due date following the expiration of one year from the date of original issuance. The Exchange Offer, to all 13 holders of the M&EC Series B Preferred Stock, was to exchange, in a private placement exempt from registration, for every share of Series B Preferred Stock tendered, (a) 0.1050805 shares of our newly issued common stock, par value $.001 per share (“Common Stock”), and (b) cash in lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock that would otherwise be issuable to the tendering holder of Series B Preferred Stock, in an amount equal to such fractional share of Common Stock multiplied by the closing price per share of the Common Stock on the last trading day immediately preceding the expiration date of the Exchange Offer. The Exchange Offer for all 1,284,730 shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding and had an expiration date of May 30, 2018. We own 100% of the voting capital stock of M&EC. On May 30, 2018, the Exchange Offer was consummated resulting in the issuance of an aggregate 134,994 shares of our Common Stock in exchange for the 1,284,730 shares of Series B Preferred Stock and the payment of an aggregate of approximately $29.00 in cash in lieu of the fractional shares of our Common Stock that would otherwise have been issuable to the tendering holders of the Series B Preferred Stock. The fair value of the 134,994 unregistered shares of our Common Stock issued was determined to be approximately $648,000 which was based on the closing price of our Common Stock on May 30, 2018 of $4.80 per share. Upon the consummation of the Exchange Offer, the previous holders of the M&EC Series B Preferred Stock forfeited all rights of a holder of Series B Preferred Shares, including the right to receive quarterly cash dividends, and the rights to the cumulative accrued and unpaid dividends with M&EC Series B Preferred Stock in the amount of approximately $1,022,000 at May 30, 2018. The M&EC Board never declared dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock and our credit facility prohibits the payment of cash dividends without the lender’s consent. After the Exchange Offer, the 1,284,730 shares of the Series B Preferred Stock acquired by us were contributed by us to M&EC and the Series B Preferred Stock is no longer outstanding. We recorded a gain of approximately $1,596,000 in the second quarter of 2018, which was net of approximately $63,000 in legal expenses incurred for the completion of the transaction.

The shares of our Common Stock issued in exchange for shares of M&EC’s Series B Preferred Stock were issued pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, and, as a result, were considered restricted securities when issued.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have a number of routine non-cancelable operating leases, primarily related to office space rental, office equipment rental and equipment rental for contract projects and operations at December 31, 2018, which total approximately $1,392,000, payable as follows: $575,000 in 2019; $406,000 in 2020; $308,000 in 2021; with the remaining $103,000 in 2022.

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, 2018, the total amount of standby letters of credit outstanding totaled approximately $2,648,000 and the total amount of bonds outstanding totaled approximately $11,284,000. We also provide closure and post-closure requirements through a financial assurance policy for certain of our Treatment Segment facilities through AIG. At December 31, 2018, the closure and post-closure requirements for these facilities were approximately $29,977,000.

Critical Accounting Policies

In preparing the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”), management makes estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as, the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We believe the following critical accounting policies affect the more significant estimates used in preparation of the consolidated financial statements:

Revenue Recognition Estimates. In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” followed by a series of related accounting standard updates (collectively referred to as “Topic 606”). Topic 606 provides a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. Under the new standard, a five-step process is utilized in order to determine revenue recognition, depicting the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. We adopted Topic 606 effective January 1, 2018. The adoption of Topic 606 did not result in significant changes to our revenues within our segments. Under Topic 606, a performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer and is the unit of account. A contract transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenues as the performance obligation is satisfied.

Treatment Segment Revenues:

Contracts in our Treatment Segment have a single performance obligation as the promise to receive, treat and dispose of waste is not separately identifiable in the contract and, therefore, not distinct. Performance obligations are generally satisfied over time using the input method. Under the input method, the Company uses a measure of progress divided into major phases which include receipt (generally ranging from 9.0% to 33%), treatment/processing and shipment/final disposal. As major processing phases are completed and the costs are incurred, the proportional percentage of revenue is recognized. Transaction price for Treatment Segment contracts are determined by the stated fixed rate per unit price as stipulated in the contract.

Services Segment Revenues:

Revenues for our Services Segment are generated from time and materials, cost reimbursement or fixed price arrangements:

Our primary obligation to customers in time and materials contracts relate to the provision of services to the customer at the direction of the customer. This provision of services at the request of the customer is the performance obligation, which is satisfied over time. Revenue earned from time and materials contracts is determined using the input method and is based on contractually defined billing rates applied to services performed and materials delivered.

Our primary performance obligation to customers in cost reimbursement contracts is to complete certain tasks and work streams. Each specified work stream or task within the contract is considered to be a separate performance obligation. The transaction price is calculated using an estimated cost to complete the various scope items to achieve the performance obligation as stipulated in the contract. An estimate is prepared for each individual scope item in the contract and the transaction price is allocated on a time and materials basis as services are provided. Revenue from cost reimbursement contracts is recognized over time using the input method based on costs incurred, plus a proportionate amount of fee earned.

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 using the output or input method. For the output method, revenue is recognized based on milestone attained on the project. For the input method, revenue is recognized based on costs incurred on the project relative to the total estimated costs of the project.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts . The carrying amount of accounts receivable is reduced by an allowance for doubtful accounts, which is a valuation allowance that reflects management’s best estimate of the amounts that are uncollectible. We regularly review all accounts receivable balances that exceed 60 days from the invoice date and, based on an assessment of current credit worthiness, estimate the portion, if any, of the balances that are uncollectible. Specific accounts that are deemed to be uncollectible are reserved at 100% of their outstanding balance. The remaining balances aged over 60 days have a percentage applied by aging category (5% for balances 61-90 days, 20% for balances 91-120 days and 40% for balances over 120 days aged), based on a historical collections patterns, that allows us to calculate the total allowance required. This analysis excludes government related receivables due to our past successful experience in their collectability. Our allowance was approximately 0.2% of revenue for 2018 and 1.3% of accounts receivable at December 31, 2018. Additionally, this allowance was approximately 1.4% of revenue for 2017 and 8.3% of accounts receivable at December 31, 2017.

Intangible Assets . Intangible assets consist primarily of the recognized value of the permits required to operate our business. We continually monitor the propriety of the carrying amount of our permits to determine whether current events and circumstances warrant adjustments to the carrying value.

Indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but are reviewed for impairment annually as of October 1, or when events or changes in the business environment indicate that the carrying value may be impaired. If the fair value of the asset is less than the carrying amount, we perform a quantitative test to determine the fair value. The impairment loss, if any, is measured as the excess of the carrying value of the asset over its fair value. Significant judgments are inherent in these analyses and include assumptions for, among other factors, forecasted revenue, gross margin, growth rate, operating income, timing of expected future cash flows, and the determination of appropriate long term discount rates.

Impairment testing of our permits related to our Treatment reporting unit as of October 1, 2018 and 2017 resulted in no impairment charges.

Intangible assets that have definite useful lives are amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives (with the exception of customer relationships which are amortized using an accelerated method) and are excluded from our annual intangible asset valuation review as of October 1. We have one definite-lived permit which was excluded from our annual impairment review as noted above. The net carrying value of this one definite-lived permit at December 31, 2018 and 2017 was approximately $7,000 and $62,000, respectively. Intangible assets with definite useful lives are also tested for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset’s carrying value may not be recoverable.

Accrued Closure Costs and Asset Retirement Obligations (“ARO”). Accrued closure costs represent our estimated environmental liability to clean up our facilities as required by our permits, in the event of closure. ASC 410, “Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations” requires that the discounted fair value of a liability for an ARO be recognized in the period in which it is incurred with the associated ARO capitalized as part of the carrying cost of the asset. The recognition of an ARO requires that management make numerous estimates, assumptions and judgments regarding such factors as estimated probabilities, timing of settlements, material and service costs, current technology, laws and regulations, and credit adjusted risk-free rate to be used. This estimate is inflated, using an inflation rate, to the expected time at which the closure will occur, and then discounted back, using a credit adjusted risk free rate, to the present value. ARO’s are included within buildings as part of property and equipment and are depreciated over the estimated useful life of the property. In periods subsequent to initial measurement of the ARO, we must recognize period-to-period changes in the liability resulting from the passage of time and revisions to either the timing or the amount of the original estimate of undiscounted cash flow. Increases in the ARO liability due to passage of time impact net income as accretion expense and are included in cost of goods sold in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Changes in the estimated future cash flows costs underlying the obligations (resulting from changes or expansion at the facilities) require adjustment to the ARO liability calculated and are capitalized and charged as depreciation expense, in accordance with our depreciation policy.

Accrued Environmental Liabilities . We have three remediation projects in progress (all within discontinued operations). The current and long-term accrual amounts for the projects are our best estimates based on proposed or approved processes for clean-up. The circumstances that could affect the outcome range from new technologies that are being developed every day to reduce our overall costs, to increased contamination levels that could arise as we complete remediation which could increase our costs, neither of which we anticipate at this time. In addition, significant changes in regulations could adversely or favorably affect our costs to remediate existing sites or potential future sites, which cannot be reasonably quantified (See “Environmental Contingencies” below for further information of these liabilities).

Disposal/Transportation Costs. We accrue for waste disposal based upon a physical count of the waste at each facility at the end of each accounting period. Current market prices for transportation and disposal costs are applied to the end of period waste inventories to calculate the disposal accrual. Costs are calculated using current costs for disposal, but economic trends could materially affect our actual costs for disposal. As there are limited disposal sites available to us, a change in the number of available sites or an increase or decrease in demand for the existing disposal areas could significantly affect the actual disposal costs either positively or negatively.

Stock-Based Compensation. We account for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation.” ASC 718 requires all stock-based payments to employees, including grant of options, to be recognized in the income statement based on their fair values. We account for stock-based compensation issued to consultants in accordance with the provisions of ASC 505-50, “Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees.” We use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair-value of stock-based awards which requires subjective assumptions. Assumptions used to estimate the fair value of stock-based awards include the exercise price of the award, the expected term, the expected volatility of our stock over the stock-based award’s expected term, the risk-free interest rate over the award’s expected term, and the expected annual dividend yield. We account for forfeitures when they occur.

Income Taxes. The provision for income tax is determined in accordance with ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” We are required to estimate our income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. We record this amount as a provision or benefit for taxes . This process involves estimating our actual current tax exposure, including assessing the risks associated with tax audits, and assessing temporary differences resulting from different treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities. We assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and, to the extent that we believe recovery is not likely, we establish a valuation allowance.

On December 22, 2017, the TCJA was signed into law making significant changes to the Internal Revenue Code. Changes include, but are not limited to, a federal corporate tax rate decrease from 35% to 21% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, the transition of U.S international taxation from a worldwide tax system to a territorial system, the elimination of AMT for corporations and a one-time transition tax on the mandatory deemed repatriation of foreign earnings.

As of December 31, 2018, we have completed our accounting for the tax effects of the enactment of the TCJA under the guidance of Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”) (issued December 22, 2017), which provides registrants an one-year measurement period to report the impact of the TCJA.

Specific to the enactment of the TCJA, we recognized a tax benefit of $1,695,000 in the fourth quarter of 2017 which consisted of $916,000 related to the re-measurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities, based on the rates at which they are expected to reverse in the future and $779,000 related to the reversal of valuation allowance and refunding of AMT credit carryforwards.

An additional provision of the TJCA was to provide an indefinite carryforward period for net operating losses (“NOLs”) generated starting in 2018. Also, the law limits the utilization of these NOLs to 80% of taxable income in the year in which the NOL is utilized. We have been carrying on our balance sheet a deferred tax liability related to indefinite-lived intangible assets. A common accounting interpretation of the Tax Act provisions is that deferred tax assets related to indefinite-lived NOLs may now be used to offset indefinite-lived deferred tax liabilities, up to 80% of the amount of the liability. During 2018, we forecasted a substantial tax loss for the full year due to the closure of the M&EC facility. As a result, we released a portion of the valuation allowance against deferred tax assets equal to 80% of the deferred tax liability related to indefinite-lived intangible assets and recorded a tax benefit in the amount of approximately $1,235,000 in accordance to the provisions of the TCJA.

The global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) provisions under the TCJA require us to include in our U.S. income tax return foreign subsidiary earnings in excess of an allowable return on the foreign subsidiary’s tangible assets. We have elected to account for GILTI tax in the period in which it is incurred, and therefore have not provided any deferred tax impacts of GILTI in our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2018. As our foreign subsidiaries are all in loss positions for 2018, there is no GILTI inclusion for the current year.

The base-erosion and anti-abuse tax provisions (“BEAT”) in the TCJA eliminates the deduction of certain base-erosion payments made to related foreign corporations, and imposes a minimum tax if greater than regular tax. We do not expect we will be subject to this tax due to the immaterial amounts of outbound U.S. payments and therefore have not included any tax impacts of BEAT in our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2018.

The TCJA imposes a one-time transition tax on previously untaxed earnings and profits of foreign subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2018, we have current and accumulated deficits in earnings and profits for all of our foreign subsidiaries. As such, we do not expect any exposure to the one-time transition tax.

As of December 31, 2018, we had net deferred tax assets of approximately $10,479,000 (which excludes a deferred tax liability relating to goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets) which were primarily related to federal and state net NOL carryforwards, impairment charges, and closure costs. As of December 31, 2018, we concluded that it was more likely than not that $10,479,000 of our deferred income tax assets would not be realized, and as such, a full valuation allowance was applied against those deferred income tax assets. Our net operating losses are subject to audit by the Internal Revenue Services, and, as a result, the amounts could be reduced.

As of December 31, 2018, we have approximately $21,277,000 and $76,312,000 in NOL carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes, respectively, which will expire in various amounts starting in 2021 if not used against future federal and state income tax liabilities, respectively. 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.

Known Trends and Uncertainties

Economic Conditions. Our business continues to be heavily dependent on services that we provide to governmental clients (including the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) and U.S. Department of Defense (“DOD”)) directly as the prime contractor or indirectly for others as a subcontractor. We believe demand for our services will continue to be subject to fluctuations due to a variety of factors beyond our control, including the current economic conditions, the large budget deficit that the government is facing, and the manner in which the government will be required to spend funding to remediate federal sites. In addition, our governmental contracts and subcontracts relating to activities at governmental sites are generally subject to termination or renegotiation on 30 days notice 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.

Significant Customers . Our Treatment and Services Segments have significant relationships with the federal government, and continue to enter into contracts, directly as the prime contractor or indirectly for others as a subcontractor, with the federal government. The contracts that we are a party to with the federal government or with others as a subcontractor to the federal government generally provide that the government may terminate or renegotiate the contracts on 30 days notice, at the government’s election. Our inability to continue under existing contracts that we have with the federal government (directly or indirectly as a subcontractor) could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition.

We performed services relating to waste generated by domestic government clients (includes U.S federal, state and local), either directly as a prime contractor or indirectly as a subcontractor to government entities, representing approximately $34,811,000 or 70.3% of our total revenue during 2018, as compared to $37,019,000 or 74.4% of our total revenue during 2017.

As 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, we do not believe the loss of one specific customer from one year to the next will generally have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition.

Contract Awards. During the latter part of March 2019, we were awarded several contracts within our Services Segment which includes remediation work for DOE locations throughout the United States. Additionally, our Services Segment has received a notice of contract award with a value of approximately $9,000,000, which includes remediation work in Canada with an expected effective date of April 1, 2019. The contract for the Canadian remediation project has not yet been executed by the parties, and we expect that this contract will be finalized during the early part of the second quarter of 2019. The total contract value of these awards is expected to be approximately $17,000,000 through 2019.

Environmental Contingencies

We are engaged in the waste management services segment of the pollution control industry. As a participant in the on-site treatment, storage and disposal market and the off-site treatment and services market, we are subject to rigorous federal, state and local regulations. These regulations mandate strict compliance and therefore are a cost and concern to us. Because of their integral role in providing quality environmental services, we make every reasonable attempt to maintain complete compliance with these regulations; however, even with a diligent commitment, we, along with many of our competitors, may be required to pay fines for violations or investigate and potentially remediate our waste management facilities.

We routinely use third party disposal companies, who ultimately destroy or secure landfill residual materials generated at our facilities or at a client’s site. In the past, numerous third party disposal sites have improperly managed waste and consequently require remedial action; consequently, any party utilizing these sites may be liable for some or all of the remedial costs. Despite our aggressive compliance and auditing procedures for disposal of wastes, we could further be notified, in the future, that we are a potentially responsible party (“PRP”) at a remedial action site, which could have a material adverse effect.

We have three remediation projects, which are currently in progress at our PFD, Perma-Fix of Memphis, Inc. (“PFM” – closed location), and PFSG (in closure status) subsidiaries. We divested PFD in 2008; however, the environmental liability of PFD was retained by us upon the divestiture of PFD. These remediation projects principally entail the removal/remediation of contaminated soil and, in most cases, the remediation of surrounding ground water. The remediation activities are closely reviewed and monitored by the applicable state regulators. While no assurances can be made that we will be able to do so, we expect to fund the expenses to remediate these sites from funds generated internally.

At December 31, 2018, we had total accrued environmental remediation liabilities of $887,000, of which $50,000 are recorded as a current liability, an increase of $16,000 from the December 31, 2017 balance of $871,000. The net increase presents an increase of approximately $50,000 made to the reserve at our PFD subsidiary due to reassessment of the remediation reserve and payments of approximately $34,000 on remediation projects for our PFD and PFSG subsidiaries.

Related Party Transactions

David Centofanti

David Centofanti serves as our Vice President of Information Systems. For such position, he received annual compensation of $173,000 and $168,000 for 2018 and 2017, respectively. David Centofanti is the son of Dr. Louis Centofanti, our Executive Vice President (“EVP”) of Strategic Initiatives and a Board of Director (“Board”) member. Dr. Louis Centofanti previously held the position of President and Chief Executive Office (“CEO”) until September 8, 2017. We believe the compensation received by David Centofanti for his technical expertise which he provides to us is competitive and comparable to compensation we would have to pay to an unaffiliated third party with the same technical expertise.

Robert Ferguson

Robert Ferguson serves as an advisor to our Board and was also a member of the Supervisory Board of PF Medical (until May 11, 2018), a majority-owned Polish subsidiary of the Company. Robert Ferguson previously served as a Board member of the Company from June 2007 to February 2010 and again from August 2011 to September 2012. Robert Ferguson is also a consultant for us in connection with our Test Bed Initiative (“TBI”) at our Perma-Fix Northwest Richland, Inc. (“PFNWR”) facility. As an advisor to our Board, Robert Ferguson is paid $4,000 monthly plus reasonable expenses. For such services, Robert Ferguson received compensation of approximately $50,000 and $51,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. For Robert Ferguson’s consulting work in connection with our TBI, on July 27, 2017 (“grant date”), we granted Robert Ferguson a non-qualified stock option from our 2017 Stock Option Plan for the purchase of up to 100,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock at an exercise price of $3.65 a share, which was the fair market value of our Common Stock on the date of grant (“Ferguson Stock Option”). The vesting of the Ferguson Stock Option is subject to the achievement of the following milestones (“waste” as noted below is defined as liquid LAW (“low activity waste”) and/or liquid TRU (“transuranic waste”)):

The term of the Ferguson Stock Option is seven (7) years from the grant date. Each of the milestones is exclusive of each other; therefore, achievement of any of the milestones above by Robert Ferguson by the designated date will provide Robert Ferguson the right to exercise the number of options in accordance with the milestone attained. The 10,000 options as noted above became vested by Robert Ferguson on December 19, 2017. The fair value of the 10,000 options was determined to be approximately $20,000. On May 1, 2018, Robert Ferguson exercised the 10,000 options for the purchase of 10,000 shares of our Common Stock, resulting in total proceeds paid to us of approximately $36,500.

On January 17, 2019, the Ferguson Stock Option was amended whereby the vesting date of the Ferguson Stock Option for the second milestone as discussed above was amended from “by January 27, 2019” to “by March 31, 2020.” All other terms of the Ferguson Stock Option remain unchanged.

On April 1, 2019, we executed a loan and securities purchase agreement and promissory note with Robert Ferguson for a $2,500,000 loan (see “Liquidity and Capital Resources - Financing Activities” of this MD&A for further information of the loan agreement).

Employment Agreements

We entered into employment agreements with each of Mark Duff (President and CEO), Ben Naccarato (Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”)), and Dr. Louis Centofanti, (EVP of Strategic Initiatives), with each employment dated September 8, 2017. Each of the employment agreements is effective for three years from September 8, 2017 (the “Initial Term”) unless earlier terminated by us or by the executive officer. At the end of the Initial Term of each employment agreement, each employment agreement will automatically be extended for one additional year, unless at least six months prior to the expiration of the Initial Term, we or the executive officer provides written notice not to extend the terms of the employment agreement. Each employment agreement provides for annual base salaries, performance bonuses (as provided in the Management Incentive Plan (“MIP”) as approved by our Board, and other benefits commonly found in such agreements. In addition, each employment agreement provides that in the event the executive officer terminates his employment for “good reason” (as defined in the agreements) or is terminated by us without cause (including the executive officer terminating his employment for “good reason” or is terminated by us without cause within 24 months after a Change in Control (as defined in the agreement)), we will pay the executive officer the following: (a) a sum equal to any unpaid base salary; (b) accrued unused vacation time and any employee benefits accrued as of termination but not yet been paid (“Accrued Amounts”); (c) two years of full base salary; (d) performance compensation under the MIP earned with respect to the fiscal year immediately preceding the date of termination; and (e) an additional year of performance compensation as provided under the MIP earned, if not already paid, with respect to the fiscal year immediately preceding the date of termination. If the executive terminates his employment for a reason other than for good reason, we will pay to the executive the amount equal to the Accrued Amounts plus any performance compensation payable pursuant to the MIP.

If there is a Change in Control (as defined in the agreements), all outstanding stock options to purchase our Common Stock held by the executive officer will immediately become exercisable in full commencing on the date of termination through the original term of the options. In the event of the death of an executive officer, all outstanding stock options to purchase our Common Stock held by the executive officer will immediately become exercisable in full commencing on the date of death, with such options exercisable for the lesser of the original option term or twelve months from the date of the executive officer’s death. In the event of an executive officer terminating his employment for “good reason” or is terminated by us without cause, all outstanding stock options to purchase our Common Stock held by the executive officer will immediately become exercisable in full commencing on the date of termination, with such options exercisable for the lesser of the original option term or within 60 days from the date of the executive’s date of termination.

We had previously entered into an employment agreement with each of Dr. Louis Centofanti and Ben Naccarato on July 10, 2014 which both employment agreements were to expire on July 10, 2018, as amended (the “July 10, 2014 Employment Agreements”). We also had previously entered into an employment agreement dated January 19, 2017 (which was effective June 11, 2016) with Mark Duff which is due to expire on June 11, 2019 (the “January 19, 2017 Employment Agreement”). The July 10, 2014 Employment Agreements and the January 19, 2017 Employment Agreement were terminated effective September 8, 2017.

MIPs

On January 18, 2018, our Board and the Compensation and Stock Option Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) approved individual MIP for each Mark Duff, CEO and President, Ben Naccarato, CFO, and Dr. Louis Centofanti, EVP of Strategic Initiatives. The MIPs are effective January 1, 2018 and applicable for year ended December 31, 2018. Each MIP provides guidelines for the calculation of annual cash incentive based compensation, subject to Compensation Committee oversight and modification. Each MIP awards cash compensation based on achievement of performance thresholds, with the amount of such compensation established as a percentage of the executive’s 2018 annual base salary on the approval date of the MIP. The potential target performance compensation ranges from 5% to 100% ($13,350 to $267,000) of the base salary for the CEO and President; 5% to 100% ($11,475 to $229,494) of the base salary for the CFO; and 5% to 100% ($11,170 to $223,400) of the base salary for the EVP of Strategic Initiatives. Pursuant to the MIPs, the Compensation Committee has the right to modify, change or terminate the MIPs at any time and for any reason. No performance compensation was earned or payable under each of the 2018 MIPs as discussed above.

On January 17, 2019, our Board and the Compensation Committee approved individual MIP for the CEO, CFO, and EVP of Strategic Initiatives. Each MIP is effective January 1, 2019 and applicable for the year ended December 31, 2019. Each MIP provides guidelines for the calculation of annual cash incentive based compensation, subject to Compensation Committee oversight and modification. Each MIP awards cash compensation based on achievement of performance thresholds, with the amount of such compensation established as a percentage of the executive’s annual 2019 base salary on the approval date of the MIP. The potential target performance compensation ranges from 5% to 150% of the 2019 base salary for the CEO ($14,350 to $430,500), 5% to 100% of the 2019 base salary for the CFO ($11,762 to $235,231), and 5% to 100% of the 2019 base salary for the EVP of Strategic Initiatives ($11,449 to $228,985).