Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Oct. 29, 2011

Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

From time to time, the Company is a named defendant in legal actions arising out of the normal course of business. The Company is not a party to any pending legal proceeding the resolution of which the management of the Company believes will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, or to any other pending legal proceedings other than ordinary, routine litigation incidental to its business. The Company maintains liability insurance against risks arising out of the normal course of business.

Certain contracts contain termination provisions under which the customer may, without penalty, terminate the contracts upon written notice to the Company. In the event of termination, the Company would be paid only termination costs in accordance with the particular contract. Generally, termination costs include unpaid costs incurred to date, earned fees and any additional costs directly allocable to the termination.

On February 4, 2011 the Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity Conservation of Brazil (the “Institute”) issued a Notice of Infraction to Ecology and Environment do Brasil LTDA (“E & E Brasil”).  E & E Brasil is a 51 percent majority-owned subsidiary of Ecology and Environment, Inc.  The Notice of Infraction concerns the taking and collecting species of wild animal specimens without authorization by the competent authority and imposes a fine of 520,000 Reals, which has a value of approximately $308,000 USD.  No claim has been made against Ecology and Environment, Inc.  The Institute has also filed Notices of Infraction against four employees of E & E Brasil alleging the same claims and has imposed fines against those individuals that, in the aggregate, are equal to the fine imposed against E & E Brasil.  E & E Brasil has filed administrative responses with the Institute for itself and its employees that: (a) denies the jurisdiction of the Institute, (b) states that the Notice of Infraction is constitutionally vague and (c) affirmatively stated that E & E Brasil had obtained the necessary permits for the surveys and collections of specimens under applicable Brazilian regulations and that the protected conservation area is not clearly marked to show its boundaries.  At this time, E & E Brasil has not received a reply from the Institute to its administrative responses.  The Company believes that these administrative proceedings in Brazil will not have an adverse material effect upon the operations of the Company.