VERNON, Calif., April 25, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exide Technologies (Nasdaq:XIDE) is suspending operations at its Vernon secondary lead recycling facility in compliance with an Order dated April 24, 2013 from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). The DTSC alleges that the Company's underground stormwater system is not in compliance with State of California requirements and alleges the Company's furnace emissions are not meeting applicable DTSC health risk standards.
The Company will comply with the Order from the DTSC and is suspending operations in Vernon while evaluating its legal and regulatory remedies. At this time the Company does not know how long the suspension of operations at the Vernon facility will last. The Vernon facility provides a significant portion of the Company's domestic lead requirements.
Exide currently operates two other active secondary lead recycling facilities in the U.S. which continue to supply lead for the Company's domestic manufacturing facilities. Exide is evaluating its ability to purchase lead on the open market as well as seeking to negotiate agreements with third-party lead recyclers to provide some or all of the internal lead requirements that would have been provided from the Vernon facility.
About Exide Technologies
Exide Technologies, with operations in more than 80 countries, is one of the world's largest producers and recyclers of lead-acid batteries. The Company's four global business groups – Transportation Americas, Transportation Europe and Rest of World, Industrial Energy Americas and Industrial Energy Europe and Rest of World – provide a comprehensive range of stored electrical energy products and services for industrial and transportation applications.
Transportation markets include original-equipment and aftermarket automotive, heavy-duty truck, agricultural and marine applications, and new technologies for hybrid vehicles and automotive applications. Industrial markets include network power applications such as telecommunications systems, electric utilities, railroads, photovoltaic (solar-power related) and uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and motive-power applications including lift trucks, mining and other commercial vehicles.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information, this news release may be deemed to contain "forward-looking" statements. The Company desires to avail itself of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act") and is including this cautionary statement for the express purpose of availing itself of the protection afforded by the Act.
Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to (a) projections of revenues, cost of raw materials, income or loss, earnings or loss per share, capital expenditures, growth prospects, dividends, the effect of currency translations, capital structure, and other financial items, (b) statements of plans and objectives of the Company or its management or Board of Directors, including the introduction of new products, or estimates or predictions of actions by customers, suppliers, competitors or regulating authorities, (c) statements of future economic performance, (d) statements regarding liquidity and (e) statements of assumptions, such as the prevailing weather conditions in the Company's market areas, underlying other statements and statements about the Company or its business, and (f) statements regarding tax and liquidity impacts from asset sales and restructuring activities.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following general factors such as: (i) the fact that lead, a major constituent in most of the Company's products, experiences significant fluctuations in market price and is a hazardous material that may give rise to costly environmental and safety claims, (ii) the Company's ability to implement and fund business strategies based on current liquidity, (iii) the Company's ability to realize anticipated efficiencies and avoid additional unanticipated costs related to its restructuring activities, (iv) the cyclical nature of the industries in which the Company operates and the impact of current adverse economic conditions on those industries, (v) unseasonable weather (warm winters and cool summers) which adversely affects demand for automotive and some industrial batteries, (vi) the Company's substantial debt and debt service requirements which may restrict the Company's operational and financial flexibility, as well as imposing significant interest and financing costs, (vii) the litigation proceedings to which the Company is subject, the results of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its business, (viii) the realization of the tax benefits of the Company's net operating loss carry forwards, which is dependent upon future taxable income, (ix) competitiveness of the battery markets in the Americas and Europe, (x) risks involved in foreign operations such as disruption of markets, changes in import and export laws, currency restrictions, currency exchange rate fluctuations and possible terrorist attacks against U.S. interests, (xi) the ability to acquire goods and services and/or fulfill later needs at budgeted costs, (xii) general economic conditions, (xiii) the Company's ability to successfully pass along increased material costs to its customers, (xiv) recently adopted U.S. lead emissions standards and the implementation of such standards by applicable states, and (xv) those risk factors described in the Company's fiscal 2012 Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012.
The Company cautions each reader of this news release to carefully consider those factors set forth above. Such factors have, in some instances, affected and in the future could affect the ability of the Company to achieve its projected results and may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed herein.