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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
20.
Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

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 believes will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition or 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.

On February 4, 2011, the Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity Conservation of Brazil (the “Institute”) issued a Notice of Infraction to E&E Brasil, a majority-owned subsidiary of EEI.  The Notice of Infraction concerned the taking and collecting wild animal specimens without authorization by the competent authority and imposed a fine of 520,000 Reais against E&E Brazil.   The Institute also filed Notices of Infraction against four employees of E&E Brasil alleging the same claims and imposed fines against those individuals that, in the aggregate, were equal to the fine imposed against E&E Brasil.  No claim has been made against EEI.
 
E&E Brasil has filed court claims appealing the administrative decisions of the Institute for E & E Brasil’s employees that: (a) deny the jurisdiction of the Institute; (b) state that the Notice of Infraction is constitutionally vague; and (c) affirmatively state 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.  The claim of violations against one of the four employees was dismissed.  The remaining three employees have fines assessed against them that are being appealed through the federal courts. Violations against E&E Brasil are pending agency determination.  At July 31, 2017, the Company recorded a reserve of approximately $0.4 million in other accrued liabilities related to these claims.

Contract Termination Provisions

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.  The Company did not experience early termination of any material contracts during fiscal years 2017 or 2016.