The Company is subject to various stringent and complex federal, state and local laws and regulations governing health and safety aspects of its operations, the discharge of materials into the environment and the protection of the environment and natural resources (including endangered or threatened species). These laws and regulations may impose on the Company's operations numerous requirements, including the acquisition of permits, approvals and certificates before conducting regulated activities; restrictions on the types, quantities and concentration of materials that may be released into the environment; the application of specific health and safety criteria to protect the public or workers; and the responsibility for cleaning up pollution resulting from operations. Moreover, many of the permits required for the construction and operation of the Company's assets may be subject to challenge by third parties, resulting in project delays or the imposition of stringent environmental controls as a precondition to issuing such permits. The Company may incur substantial costs to maintain compliance with these existing laws and regulations and the permits and other approvals thereunder. Additionally, the Company's costs of compliance may increase or operational delays may occur if existing laws and regulations are revised or reinterpreted, or if new laws and regulations apply to its operations. Numerous governmental authorities, such as the EPA and analogous state agencies, have the power to enforce compliance with these laws and regulations and the permits issued thereunder, oftentimes requiring difficult and costly response actions. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of sanctions, including administrative, civil and criminal penalties; the imposition of investigatory, remedial or corrective action obligations; the incurrence of capital expenditures, the occurrence of delays in the permitting, development or expansion of projects, and enjoining some or all of the Company's future operations in a particular area. Compliance with more stringent standards and other environmental regulations could prohibit the Company's ability to obtain permits for operations or require it to install additional equipment, the costs of which could be significant.
The risk of incurring environmental costs and liabilities in connection with the Company's operations is significant because of its handling of natural gas, crude and other petroleum products, its air emissions and product-related discharges arising out of its operations and as a result of historical industry practices and waste disposal practices. For example, an accidental release from one of the Company's facilities could subject it to substantial liabilities arising from environmental cleanup and restoration costs, claims made by neighboring landowners and other third parties for personal injury, natural resources and property damages and fines and penalties for related violations of environmental laws or regulations.
Changes in environmental laws and regulations occur frequently, and any changes that result in more stringent or costly requirements could require the Company to make significant expenditures to attain and maintain compliance or may otherwise have a material adverse effect on its operations, competitive position or financial condition.
Public interest in the protection of the environment has increased dramatically in recent years. The trend of more expansive and stringent environmental legislation and regulations applied to the oil and natural gas industry could continue, resulting in increased costs of doing business and, consequently, affecting profitability. Additionally, fuel conservation measures, alternative fuel requirements, increasing consumer demand for alternatives to oil and natural gas and technological advances in fuel economy and energy generation devices, could all reduce demand for oil and natural gas and consequently reduce demand for the midstream services the Company provides. The impact of this changing demand could materially and adversely affect the Company's business, operations and cash flows.