Property, equipment and finite-lived intangible assets are carried on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on their cost less accumulated depreciation or amortization. Finite-lived intangible assets consist of long-term franchise agreements, contracts, customer lists, permits and other agreements. The recoverability of these assets is tested whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amount may not be recoverable.

Typical indicators that an asset may be impaired include, but are not limited to, the following:

If any of these or other indicators occur, a test of recoverability is performed by comparing the carrying value of the asset or asset group to its undiscounted expected future cash flows. If the carrying value is in excess of the undiscounted expected future cash flows, impairment is measured by comparing the fair value of the asset to its carrying value. Fair value is determined by an internally developed discounted projected cash flow analysis of the asset. Cash flow projections are sometimes based on a group of assets, rather than a single asset. If cash flows cannot be separately and independently identified for a single asset, the Company will determine whether an impairment has occurred for the group of assets for which the projected cash flows can be identified. If the fair value of an asset is determined to be less than the carrying amount of the asset or asset group, an impairment in the amount of the difference is recorded in the period that the impairment indicator occurs. Several impairment indicators are beyond the Company’s control, and whether or not they will occur cannot be predicted with any certainty. Estimating future cash flows requires significant judgment and projections may vary from cash flows eventually realized. There are other considerations for impairments of landfills, as described below.

There are certain indicators listed above that require significant judgment and understanding of the waste industry when applied to landfill development or expansion projects. A regulator or court may deny or overturn a landfill development or landfill expansion permit application before the development or expansion permit is ultimately granted. Management may periodically divert waste from one landfill to another to conserve remaining permitted landfill airspace. Therefore, certain events could occur in the ordinary course of business and not necessarily be considered indicators of impairment due to the unique nature of the waste industry.

Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment on at least an annual basis in the fourth quarter of the year. In addition, the Company evaluates its reporting units for impairment if events or circumstances similar to the indicators listed above change between annual tests indicating a possible impairment.

The Company estimates the fair value of each of its reporting units, which consist of its five geographic solid waste operating segments and its exploration and production (“E&P”) segment, using discounted cash flow analyses, which require significant assumptions and estimates about the future operations of each reporting unit and the future discrete cash flows related to each indefinite-lived intangible asset. Significant judgments inherent in these analyses include the determination of appropriate discount rates, the amount and timing of expected future cash flows, growth rates and income tax rates. The Company compares the fair value of each reporting unit with the carrying value of the net assets assigned to each reporting unit. If the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than the carrying value of the net assets, including goodwill, assigned to the reporting unit, then no impairment results. If the fair value is less than its carrying value, an impairment charge is recorded for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. In testing indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment, the Company compares the estimated fair value of each indefinite-lived intangible asset to its carrying value. If the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying value, an impairment charge would be recorded to earnings in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Net Income (Loss).

The demand for the Company’s E&P waste services depends on the continued demand for, and production of, oil and natural gas. Crude oil and natural gas prices historically have been volatile. Macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions,

including a significant decline in oil prices driven by both surplus production and supply, as well as the decrease in demand caused by factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, have resulted in decreased levels of oil and natural gas exploration and production activity and a corresponding decrease in demand for the Company’s E&P waste services. During the three months ended June 30, 2020, total revenue for the Company’s E&P segment declined 43.3%, compared to the prior year period, on oil rig count declines of over 60% in certain basins. The most impacted basins include the Williston Basin in North Dakota, the Eagle Ford Basin in Texas and the Powder River Basin in Wyoming, all of which have relatively high costs associated with drilling, making them less attractive than other basins, including the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico. Additionally, across the industry there is uncertainty regarding future demand for oil and related services, as noted by several energy companies, many of whom are customers of the Company’s E&P segment. These companies have written down the values of their oil and gas assets in anticipation of the potential for the decarbonization of their energy product mix given an increased global focus on reducing greenhouse gases and addressing climate change. Such uncertainty regarding global demand has had a significant impact on the investment and operating plans of the Company’s E&P waste customers in the basins where the Company operates.

The current decrease in exploration and production activity, together with market expectations of a likely slow recovery in oil prices, has reduced the expected future period cash flows of the Company’s E&P segment. Based on these events, the Company concluded that a triggering event occurred which required the Company to perform an impairment test of the property and equipment and intangible assets of its E&P segment as of June 30, 2020 using July 2020 industry projections for drilling activity by basin as the basis for expectations about future activity. Based upon the results of the impairment test, the Company concluded that the carrying value exceeded the projected undiscounted cash flows of four landfills in the E&P segment. The next step was to calculate the fair value of these four landfills using an income approach employing a discounted cash flow (DCF) model over the lesser of 40 years or the remaining life of each landfill. Additional key assumptions used in the DCF model included a discount rate of 12% applied to the cash flows, annual revenue projections based on E&P waste resulting from projected levels of oil and natural gas exploration and production activity during the forecast period at each location, gross margins based on estimated operating expense requirements during the forecast period, estimated capital expenditures over the forecast period and income taxes based on the estimated federal and state income tax rates applicable during the cash flow periods. For each of the four landfills, the carrying value exceeded the calculated discounted fair value, resulting in the recording of an impairment charge of $417,384 to Impairments and other operating items in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Net Income (Loss) during the three months ended June 30, 2020. The four landfills had $0 of intangible assets at June 30, 2020; therefore, no impairment charge was attributable to intangible assets. Following the impairment charge, which reduced the carrying value of property and equipment by $417,384, the E&P segment has a remaining balance in property, plant and equipment of $412,974 at June 30, 2020. Additionally, the E&P segment has a balance of $58,712 in intangible assets at June 30, 2020. If the estimated annual cash flows in the DCF model for each asset or asset group tested was changed by 10%, the resulting impairment charge would change by approximately $3,000.

The aforementioned impairment charges were partially offset by a $4,145 adjustment to reduce the fair value of an amount payable in 2021 under a liability-classified contingent consideration arrangement calculated on future earnings and cash flows associated with the acquisition of an E&P business in 2014. Based upon the outlook for E&P waste services in the market where the acquired business operates, the payment of the contingent consideration was deemed unlikely and the carrying value was reduced to $0 as of June 30, 2020, resulting in a credit to Impairments and other operating items in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Net Income (Loss).