Exhibit 10.5
PURCHASE AND SALE
AGREEMENT
THIS PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT
is entered into this 17th day of
November, 2008, and is by and among RIDGEWOOD GAS SERVICES
LLC , a Delaware limited liability company (“ RGS
”), and RHODE ISLAND RESOURCE RECOVERY CORPORATION
(“ RIRRC ”), a Rhode Island
corporation. RGS and RIRRC may sometimes be referred to
herein individually as a “Party” and collectively as
the “Parties.”
RECITALS
WHEREAS , RIRRC is the owner of a certain landfill,
commonly referred to as the “Central Landfill,” located
in the Town of Johnston, County of Providence, State of Rhode
Island (as expanded or otherwise modified from time to time, the
“ Landfill ”);
WHEREAS , the current configuration of the Landfill,
including the RIRRC Gas Collection System, the LKD Gas Collection
System and the Condensate Control, Treatment and Disposal System
(each as hereinafter defined) at the Landfill, are depicted on the
Existing Site Plan attached hereto as Exhibit A
;
WHEREAS , pursuant to the Existing Gas Services
Agreement, RGS has operated the RIRRC Gas Collection System, and
pursuant to the CGLP Gas Services Agreement, RGS had operated the
LKD Gas Collection System;
WHEREAS , as of December 31, 2007, pursuant to the
Termination and Assignment Agreement dated December 20, 2007 among
CGLP, LKD, Ridgewood Providence Power, RGS and Rhode Island Gas
Management LLC, RGS acquired the LKD Gas Collection System from LKD
and terminated the CGLP Gas Services Agreement;
WHEREAS , pursuant to the Services Agreement, RGS will
continue to operate the RIRRC Gas Collection System and the LKD Gas
Collection System;
WHEREAS , pursuant to the Site Lease, RIRRC is granting
to Rhode Island LFG Genco, LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company and the sole member in RGS (“ RILG ”),
the right to construct and operate the RILG Facilities and certain
rights with respect to the Landfill Gas produced at the Landfill;
and
WHEREAS , RIRRC and RGS now desire to enter into this
Agreement to enable RGS to acquire the RIRRC Gas Collection System
and the Condensate Control, Treatment and Disposal System subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein;
NOW THEREFORE , the Parties agree as follows:
ARTICLE
I: TERM/DEFINITIONS
1.1
Definitions . Capitalized terms not
otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to them in the
Schedule of Definitions attached hereto.
1.2
Certain Interpretive Matters . In this
Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, the singular
shall include the plural, the masculine shall include the feminine
and neuter, and vice versa. The term
“includes” or “including” shall mean
“including without limitation.” References to a
section, article, exhibit or schedule shall mean a section,
article, exhibit or schedule of this Agreement unless the context
requires otherwise. All exhibits, annexes, schedules and
other attachments to this Agreement are hereby deemed to be
attached to this Agreement and incorporated herein by
reference. The headings in this Agreement are included
for convenience of reference only and shall not in any way affect
the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. The
definitions of agreements, contracts and other documents contained
in this Agreement which describe such agreements, contracts or
documents are not intended to be a complete description of all
terms of such agreements, contracts or documents and shall not in
any way affect the interpretation of such agreements, contracts or
documents. Whenever a representation and warranty is
made in this Agreement “to the knowledge” of a party,
the knowledge is the actual and constructive knowledge of the
directors, officers, and management level personnel of the
party.
ARTICLE II: PURCHASE AND
SALE
2.1
Purchase and Sale of Assets . Prior to the
Commercial Operation Date, RGS may purchase and acquire from RIRRC
(the “ Purchase ”), and upon the request of RGS
(as described below), RIRRC shall sell, assign, convey and transfer
to RGS, all of RIRRC’s right, title and interest in and to
the RIRRC Gas Collection System and the Condensate Control,
Treatment and Disposal System, together with the associated
warranties, licenses, contracts and other contractual rights and
other assets, which are listed in Exhibit B
(collectively, the “ Assets ”) on any date after
the provision by RILG or an Affiliate of RILG of a notice to
proceed with construction of the RILG Facilities to a construction
contractor retained by RILG or such Affiliate to construct such
RILG Facilities. RGS shall exercise its right to
purchase the Assets under this Section 2.1 by providing a written
notice of such exercise to RIRRC, and the Purchase shall occur on a
date prior to the Commercial Operation Date (the “
Acquisition Date ”) selected by RGS in its sole
discretion that is at least ten (10) Business Days after the date
on which RGS provides such notice. The Purchase will be
made or not made by RGS in its sole discretion (subject to the
conditions described in this Section 2.1), and nothing set forth in
this Agreement shall be deemed to obligate RGS to acquire the
Assets at any time.
2.2
Excluded Assets . Notwithstanding anything
to the contrary in this Agreement, there shall be excluded from the
Assets to be sold, assigned, transferred, conveyed or delivered to
RGS hereunder, and to the extent in existence on the Acquisition
Date, there shall be retained by RIRRC, any and all right, title or
interest to the following assets, properties and rights
(collectively, the “ Excluded Assets
”):
(a) the
LCS; and
(b) any
right, title or interest of RIRRC with respect to Environmental
Attributes, which Environmental Attributes are subject to and
addressed under the Existing Environmental Attribute Agreements or
the Site Lease.
2.3
Purchase Price . The total consideration
to be paid by RGS and received by RIRRC for the Assets shall be
$1.00 (the “ Purchase Price ”).
2.4
Books and Records . On the Acquisition
Date, (i) RIRRC shall sell, convey, transfer, assign and deliver to
RGS all books, operating records, safety and maintenance manuals,
engineering design plans, blueprints and as-built plans and
surveys, compliance plans, safety plans and records, environmental
procedures and similar records of RIRRC or in RIRRC’s
possession relating to RIRRC’s ownership, operation or
maintenance of the Assets other than and specifically excluding all
tax records, Tax Returns, working papers, business records and
other related documents dealing with the management and compliance
of RIRRC as a business entity (“ Books and Records
”). RIRRC shall be entitled to retain copies of
any or all of the Books and Records and RGS agrees that it will
make such Books and Records reasonably available to RIRRC in order
to review and make copies at RIRRC’s expense of such Books
and Records from time to time after the Acquisition Date during
normal business hours and following reasonable
notice. RIRRC shall be entitled to use its copies of
such Books and Records and all information contained therein for
such purposes as may be deemed necessary and appropriate by RIRRC
in connection with all regulatory filings or other activities
involving any Governmental Body, filing of Tax Returns and all
other government matters reasonably related to RIRRC’s prior
ownership of the Assets.
2.5
Closing . The closing of the Purchase (the
“ Closing ”) shall take place, on the terms and
subject to the conditions of this Agreement, on the Acquisition
Date at the offices of Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C., One
Citizens Plaza, 8th Floor, Providence, Rhode Island, or such other
place as the Parties mutually agree. The Closing shall
be effective for all purposes as of 12:01 A.M. Eastern Time on the
Acquisition Date.
2.6
Closing Documents . At the Closing, each
of the following agreements, certificates or other documents
required to consummate the Purchase shall be executed and delivered
by the Parties thereto, or if previously executed and delivered,
shall be in full force and effect (collectively, the “
Closing Documents ”):
(a) the
Related Agreements;
(b) the
Bill of Sale, dated the Acquisition Date, with respect to the
Assets substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
C ; and
(c) such
other instruments, documents and certificates reasonably required
to consummate the Purchase contemplated hereby.
ARTICLE III:
COVENANTS.
3.1
Further Assurances . Each of the Parties
will use commercially reasonable efforts to take all actions and to
do all things necessary, proper or advisable in order to consummate
and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
on or as soon as practicable after the Acquisition Date.
3.2
Filings . Without limiting the generality
of Section 3.1(a), RIRRC and RGS agree to provide to each other, or
to such Person as either shall reasonably direct, such information
relating to RIRRC or RGS as the other party reasonably deems
appropriate for purposes of providing Governmental Bodies or any
other Person requiring notice thereof with appropriate notice of
the transactions contemplated hereby. The Parties shall
consult with each other as to which Party should be principally
responsible for, and the appropriate time of, filing any
notifications or requests for approval required hereunder in
connection with the consummation of the transactions herein
contemplated and shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to
make such filings at the agreed upon times, to respond promptly to
any requests for additional information made by any Governmental
Authorities, and to cause the applicable waiting periods to
terminate or expire at the earliest possible date after each date
of filing. The Parties will keep each other informed of
the progress and actions related to complying with and completing
all actions and requirements provided in this
Agreement. Each party is responsible for its own fees,
expenses and costs in respect of any filing.
3.3
Waivers . (a) RIRRC waives any
rights it had to acquire or assume responsibility for the operation
or maintenance of the LKD Gas Collection System pursuant to the
Existing Gas Services Agreement or the CGLP Gas Services
Agreement.
(b)
RIRRC waives, and agrees that it will not exercise, any right to
reacquire the Assets or to acquire any other assets of RGS by
eminent domain or other statutory or common law right that it may
otherwise have to reacquire the Assets or to acquire any other
assets of RGS.
3.4
Permits, Licenses and Contracts . As of
the Acquisition Date, RIRRC shall assign to RGS any of the Permits
held by RIRRC that are capable of being assigned by RIRRC to RGS
and that are required to be held in the name of RGS in order to
permit RGS to own, operate and maintain the Gas Collection Systems
and the CCS.
3.5
Title to Landfill Gas and Environmental Attributes
. RIRRC and RGS hereby acknowledge that, while RGS will
own and/or operate the Gas Collection Systems, it does not and will
not at any time have title to the Landfill Gas in the Gas
Collection Systems or to any Environmental Attributes originally
arising or created on or after the Effective Date, which title
shall at all times vest in RILG.
3.6
License . (a) Effective upon the
Acquisition Date and continuing for the term of the Site Lease and
subject to the terms of this Agreement, RIRRC hereby conveys to
RGS, and RGS hereby accepts from RIRRC, the sole and exclusive
possession and occupancy of the portions of the Landfill on which
the RIRRC Gas Collection System, the CCS and RGS’ other
facilities are located, as denoted on the Existing Site Plan, as
revised from time to time (subject to RIRRC’s rights thereto
as set forth herein), for the purposes set forth herein, including
without limitation in such ways as may be related to and necessary,
appropriate or convenient for the operation and maintenance of the
Gas Collection Systems, the CCS and RGS’ other facilities,
including but not limited to the right (A) to bring onto and store
on the Landfill all equipment, lubricants, solvents and the like
used in any aspect of the operation of the Gas Collection Systems
and the CCS and (B) to perform any act required by or permitted
under any Permit, Legal Requirements and/or Environmental Law
relating to the Services as contemplated under this
Agreement.
(b) All
activities conducted by RGS, its employees, representatives,
agents, contractors and subcontractors at the Landfill shall be (i)
at RGS’ sole risk and responsibility, (ii) conducted in a
manner that does not unreasonably interfere in any respect with
RIRRC’s operation of the Landfill, and (iii) conducted in
compliance with all applicable Legal Requirements, including
requirements of any Permits relating to the Landfill.
(c) RIRRC
reserves a right of reasonable access to the portions of the
Landfill to which RGS has a license hereunder. RIRRC
shall exercise such right of access in a manner that does not
unreasonably interfere with RGS’ rights hereunder, unless
RIRRC’s purpose is to exercise its rights and remedies under
this Agreement following a default by RGS under, or a termination
of, this Agreement. Except in the case of emergencies
where prior notice shall not be required, such right of access
shall be exercised by advanced written notice to RGS in a timely
manner appropriate under the circumstances. RIRRC also
reserves the right to grant to third parties easements or other
access rights to the Landfill as deemed necessary or appropriate by
RIRRC for its use and operation of the Landfill and to comply with
applicable Legal Requirements, such third parties to include, but
not be limited to, any Governmental Body, utility providers,
electricity or other power generators or providers and RIRRC
contractors, provided , however , that such easements
or access rights do not unreasonably interfere with the rights
granted to RGS under this Agreement.
3.7
Condition of Assets . Prior to the
Acquisition Date and subject to RGS’s obligations under the
Services Agreement, RIRRC shall maintain the Assets in the ordinary
course consistent with Good Engineering Practices (including the
continued scheduling and performance of regular and customary
maintenance and maintenance overhauls), unless otherwise
contemplated by this Agreement or with the prior written consent of
RGS. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
RIRRC shall not, without the consent of RGS:
(a) sell,
lease (as lessor), transfer or otherwise dispose of, any Assets,
other than as used, consumed or replaced in the ordinary course of
business consistent with Good Engineering Practices, or materially
encumber, pledge, mortgage or suffer to be imposed on any Assets
any material encumbrance;
(b) make
any material change in the levels of inventories customarily
maintained by RIRRC with respect to the Assets, except in the
ordinary course of business and such changes that are consistent
with Good Engineering Practices; or
(c) terminate,
materially amend or otherwise materially modify any material
contract, lease or Permit other than in the ordinary course of
business, as required by any Governmental Body, as may be required
in connection with any Legal Requirement, or as may be required in
connection with transferring RIRRC’s rights or obligations
thereunder to RGS pursuant to this Agreement.
ARTICLE
IV: REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF
RGS
RGS hereby represents and warrants to RIRRC as
follows as of the Effective Date:
4.1
Brokers or Finders . No agent, broker,
investment or commercial banker, Person or firm acting on behalf of
RGS or under the authority of RGS is or will be entitled to any
broker’s or finder’s fee or any other commission or
similar fee, directly or indirectly in connection with the Purchase
contemplated herein.
4.2
Independent Investigation . RGS
acknowledges that (a) it has been provided access to the Landfill,
the Books and Records, and the officers and employees of RIRRC
relating to the Assets as part of its due diligence in its
evaluation regarding the Purchase and (b) in making the decision to
enter into this Agreement and consummate the Purchase contemplated
hereby, RGS has relied on both its “due diligence” as
outlined above and on the representations, warranties, covenants
and agreements of RIRRC set forth in this Agreement, the other
Related Agreements and the Closing
Documents. Accordingly, RGS acknowledges that, except as
expressly set forth herein, in the other Related Agreements or in
any Closing Document and subject to all the terms and conditions
hereof, RIRRC HAS NOT MADE, AND RIRRC HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS
AND NEGATES, ANY OTHER REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS,
IMPLIED, AT COMMON LAW, BY STATUTE, OR OTHERWISE RELATING TO THE
PHYSICAL CONDITION, DESIGN AND/OR LAYOUT OF THE ASSETS OR ANY OF
THEM, INCLUDING ANY OTHER REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY REGARDING ANY
INFORMATION, DATA, OR OTHER MATERIALS (WRITTEN OR ORAL) FURNISHED
TO RGS BY OR ON BEHALF OF RIRRC. UNLESS OTHERWISE
EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HEREIN OR IN THE OTHER RELATED AGREEMENTS,
RIRRC FURTHER SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY
OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE VALUE OF THE ASSETS
OR THE PROSPECTS (FINANCIAL OR OTHERWISE), RISKS AND OTHER
INCIDENTS OF SUCH ASSETS. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH
HEREIN OR IN THE OTHER RELATED AGREEMENTS, THE ASSETS ARE BEING
ACQUIRED IN AN “AS-IS, WHERE-IS” CONDITION WITHOUT
REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF CONDITION, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE; PROVIDED , HOWEVER , THAT
NO DISCLAIMER HEREIN SHALL APPLY TO ANY ADVERSE CONDITION OF THE
ASSETS RESULTING FROM RIRRC’S BREACH OF THE EXISTING GAS
SERVICES AGREEMENT, NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT.
ARTICLE
V: REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF
RIRRC
RIRRC hereby represents and warrants to RGS as
follows as of the Effective Date:
5.1
Related Agreements . To the best of
RIRRC’s knowledge, without further investigation, there
is