combination could remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with U.S. securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with U.S. securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.
We may face risks related to energy, water, food and agriculture sector companies.
Business combinations with companies in the water, food and agriculture industries entail certain risks. If we are successful in completing a business combination with any such target business, we may be subject to, and possibly adversely affected by, the following risks:
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governmental or regulatory actions relating to water rights, water quality or infrastructure, even if well-intentioned;
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governmental or regulatory actions which, among other things, establish standards for the treatment, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous waste, could subject us to responsibility and liability for the cost of removal or remediation of hazardous substances;
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changes to labor regulations concerning minimum wages and minimum and maximum work hours or restricting the hiring of illegal immigrants;
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changes in demographics that impact water demands, public policies that may be negative toward investment in water resources, water resources market conditions or inability to obtain or maintain sufficient water supply;
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agricultural crops are vulnerable to crop disease, pests, and adverse weather conditions, and, because agricultural crops are perishable, unfavorable growing conditions can reduce both crop size and crop quality;
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negative impacts of climate change, including an increased risk of flooding, degradation in the quality of groundwater aquifers, and expansion of agricultural weed and pest populations;
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the failure of food and agriculture quality control procedures could cause losses from liability to harmed persons, and negatively impact consumer perception;
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price fluctuations resulting from recessions, adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, political domestic and foreign trade, changes in supply and demand and other factors;
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difficulty in establishing and implementing a commercial and operational approach adequate to address the specific needs of the markets we are pursuing;
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legal claims arising with respect to any project having undisclosed or unknown environmental problems or as to which inadequate reserves have been established;
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need for substantial investments for infrastructure changes necessary for growth, such as additional rail and trucking capacity, additional storage facilities, advancement of technologies and updates to the electric grid;
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the viability and continued growth in demand for renewable energy may be impacted by many factors outside of our control, including competition, market acceptance of renewable energy systems, availability and amount of government subsidies and incentives, and prices of traditional utility-provided energy sources;
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difficulty in competing against established companies who may have greater financial resources and/or a more effective or established localized business presence;
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the possibility of applying an ineffective commercial approach to targeted markets, including product offerings that may not meet market needs with respect to their environmental or non-environmental attributes;
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an inability to build strong brand identity, environmental credibility or reputation for exceptional customer satisfaction and service;
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difficulty in timely identifying, attracting, training, and retaining qualified sales, technical, and other personnel;