As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 3, 2016.

Registration No. 333-               

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Under

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

US ECOLOGY, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   95-3889638
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)   (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

251 E. Front St.

Suite 400

Boise, ID 83702

(208) 331-8400

 

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Jeffrey R. Feeler

President and Chief Executive Officer

US Ecology, Inc.

251 E. Front St.

Suite 400

Boise, ID 83702

(208) 331-8400

 

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

With a copy to:

Stephen M. Leitzell, Esq.

Dechert LLP

Cira Centre

2929 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104

(215) 994-4000

 

 

 

   
 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

If the only securities being registered on the Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.    o

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.    x

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.    o

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.    o

 

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.    x

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.    o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

             
Large accelerated filer   x   Accelerated filer   o
       
Non-accelerated filer   o   Smaller reporting company   o

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

Title of each Class
of Securities to be Registered
  Amount to be Registered (1)   Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per unit (1)(2)   Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price (1)(2)   Amount of Registration Fee (1)(3) 
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share (4)(10)             –       –              –              – 
Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share (5)(10)                
Warrants (6)(10)                
Debt Securities (7)(10)                
Rights to purchase common stock, preferred stock, debt securities or units (8)(10)                
Units (9)(10)                
TOTAL  $       $   $ 

 

 

(1) Not specified as to each class of securities to be registered pursuant to General Instruction II.E to Form S-3.

 

(2) The proposed maximum offering price per unit will be determined from time to time by the Registrant in connection with the issuance by the Registrant of the securities registered hereunder.

 

   
 

 

(3) Deferred in reliance upon Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act, this registration statement covers $403,168,850 aggregate principal amount of securities (the “Unsold Securities”), that were previously registered for sale under the Registrant’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-187001), which was initially filed by the Registrant on April 30, 2013 and declared effective on May 15, 2013. The Unsold Securities remained registered and unsold and are being carried forward to this registration statement. Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act, $54,334 of the filing fee (calculated at the rate in effect at the time the Registration Statement No. 333-187001 was filed) paid in connection with the Unsold Securities will continue to be applied to such Unsold Securities, and the offering of the Unsold Securities under Registration Statement No. 333-187001 will be deemed terminated as of the date of effectiveness of this registration statement.

 

(4) There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate number of shares of common stock.

 

(5) There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate number of shares of preferred stock.

  

(6) There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate amount and number of warrants. The warrants may represent the right to purchase shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock or debt securities.

  

(7) There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate principal amount of debt securities, excluding accrued interest and accrued amortization of discount, if any, to the date of delivery.
   
(8) There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate number of rights that may represent a right to purchase common shares, preferred shares, debt securities or units.

 

(9) There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate number of units. Each unit will be issued under a unit agreement and will represent an interest in a combination of one or more of the securities registered hereunder.

 

(10) This registration statement also covers an indeterminate amount of securities as may be issued in exchange for, or upon conversion or exercise of, as the case may be, the shares of preferred stock or warrants registered hereunder. Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as units with other securities registered hereunder. No separate consideration will be received for any securities registered hereunder that are issued in exchange for, or upon conversion of, as the case may be, the shares of preferred stock or warrants.

 

   
 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

US ECOLOGY, INC.

 

Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Warrants
Debt Securities
Rights to Purchase Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities or Units
Units

 

 

 

 

We may offer and sell from time to time our shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, warrants, debt securities and rights to purchase common stock, preferred stock, debt securities or units, as well as units that include any of these securities.

 

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we offer securities pursuant to this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement containing specific terms of the particular offering together with this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in any securities. The prospectus supplement also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. This prospectus may not be used to offer and sell securities unless accompanied by the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market System under the symbol “ECOL.” On June 2, 2016, the closing price of our common stock was $46.98.

 

Investing in our securities involves significant risks. We strongly recommend that you read carefully the risks we describe in this prospectus and in any accompanying prospectus supplement, as well as the risk factors that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus from our filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. See “Risk Factors” on page 2 of this prospectus.

 

We may sell the securities directly or to or through underwriters or dealers, and also to other purchasers or through agents. The names of any underwriters or agents that are included in a sale of securities to you, and any applicable commissions or discounts, will be stated in an accompanying prospectus supplement. In addition, the underwriters, if any, may over-allot a portion of the securities.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

The date of this prospectus is June 3, 2016

 

   
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS 1
US ECOLOGY, INC. 1
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 2
RISK FACTORS 2
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES 3
USE OF PROCEEDS 3
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION 3
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK 5
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS 8
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES 10
DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTS 18
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS 20
LEGAL MATTERS 20
EXPERTS 20
UPDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION 21
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION 23
INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 23

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, (the “SEC”), using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer and sell from time to time any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings in amounts, at prices and on terms that we determine at the time of the offering. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we offer securities under this registration statement we will provide a prospectus supplement that describes the terms of the relevant offering. The prospectus supplement also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Before making an investment decision, you should read carefully both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus as described below under the heading “Information Incorporated by Reference.”

 

The registration statement that contains this prospectus, including the exhibits to the registration statement and the information incorporated by reference, provides additional information about us and our securities. That registration statement can be read at the SEC website (www.sec.gov) or at the SEC public reference room, as discussed below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

You should rely only on the information provided in the registration statement, this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement, including the information incorporated by reference. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus is accurate at any date other than the date indicated on the cover page of these documents or the filing date of any document incorporated by reference, regardless of its time of delivery. We are not making an offer to sell the securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

We may sell our securities to or through underwriters, initial purchasers, dealers or agents, directly to purchasers or through a combination of any of these methods of sale, as designated from time to time. We and our agents reserve the sole right to accept or reject in whole or in part any proposed purchase of our securities. An applicable prospectus supplement, which we will provide each time we offer the securities, will set forth the names of any underwriters, initial purchasers, dealers or agents involved in the sale of our securities, and any related fee, commission or discount arrangements. See “Plan of Distribution.”

 

The terms “US Ecology, Inc.,” “US Ecology,” the “Company,” “our,” “us” and “we,” as used in this prospectus, refer to US Ecology, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, unless we state otherwise or the context indicates otherwise.

 

US ECOLOGY, INC.

 

US Ecology, Inc. is a leading North American provider of environmental services to commercial and government entities. The Company addresses the complex waste management needs of its customers, offering treatment, disposal and recycling of hazardous, non-hazardous and radioactive waste, as well as a wide range of complementary field and industrial services. US Ecology’s comprehensive knowledge of the waste business, its collection of waste management facilities and focus on safety, environmental compliance, and customer service enables us to effectively meet the needs of our customers and to build long-lasting relationships. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, we are one of the oldest providers of such services in North America. US Ecology and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 60 years. As of December 31, 2015, we employed approximately 1,400 people.

 

Our filings with the SEC are posted on our website at www.usecology.com. The information found on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement and is not part of this or any other report we file with or furnish to the SEC. The public can also obtain copies of these filings by visiting the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street NE, Washington DC 20549, or by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

US Ecology was most recently incorporated as a Delaware corporation in May 1987 as American Ecology Corporation. Our principal executive offices are located at 251 E. Front St., Suite 400, Boise, ID 83702 and our telephone number is (208) 331-8400. More information about us is available through our website at www.usecology.com. On February 22, 2010, the Company changed its name from American Ecology Corporation to US Ecology, Inc. We have fixed facilities and service centers operating in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Our fixed facilities include the operation of five Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, subtitle C, hazardous waste landfills and one low-level radioactive waste landfill located near Beatty, Nevada; Richland, Washington; Robstown, Texas; Grand View, Idaho; Detroit, Michigan and Blainville, Québec, Canada. These facilities generate revenue from fees charged to treat and dispose of waste and from fees charged to perform various field and industrial services for our customers.

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This registration statement on Form S-3 contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “intend” and similar expressions. These statements include, among others, statements regarding our financial and operating results, strategic objectives and means to achieve those objectives, the amount and timing of capital expenditures, repurchases of its stock under approved stock repurchase plans, the amount and timing of interest expense, the likelihood of our success in expanding our business, financing plans, budgets, working capital needs and sources of liquidity.

 

Forward-looking statements are only predictions and are not guarantees of performance. These statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions, which in turn are based on currently available information. Important assumptions include, among others, those regarding demand for Company services, expansion of service offerings geographically or through new or expanded service lines, the timing and cost of planned capital expenditures, competitive conditions and general economic conditions. These assumptions could prove inaccurate. Forward-looking statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Such factors include the replacement of non-recurring event clean-up projects, a loss of a major customer, our ability to permit and contract for timely construction of new or expanded disposal cells, our ability to renew our operating permits or lease agreements with regulatory bodies, loss of key personnel, compliance with and changes to applicable laws, rules, or regulations, access to insurance, surety bonds and other financial assurances, a deterioration in our labor relations or labor disputes, our ability to perform under required contracts, failure to realize anticipated benefits and operational performance from acquired operations, adverse economic or market conditions, government funding or competitive pressures, incidents or adverse weather conditions that could limit or suspend specific operations, access to cost effective transportation services, fluctuations in foreign currency markets, lawsuits, our willingness or ability to pay dividends, implementation of new technologies, limitations on our available cash flow as a result of our indebtedness and our ability to effectively execute our acquisition strategy and integrate future acquisitions.

 

Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States and the rules and regulations of the SEC, we are under no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results or performance. Before you invest in our common stock, you should be aware that the occurrence of the events described in the “Risk Factors” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and in subsequent filings, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, could harm our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition.

 

Investors should also be aware that while we do, from time to time, communicate with securities analysts, it is against our policy to disclose to them any material non-public information or other confidential commercial information. Accordingly, stockholders should not assume that we agree with any statement or report issued by any analyst irrespective of the content of the statement or report. Furthermore, we have a policy against issuing or confirming financial forecasts or projections issued by others. Thus, to the extent that reports issued by securities analysts contain any projections, forecasts or opinions, such reports are not the responsibility of US Ecology, Inc.

 

RISK FACTORS

 

Investing in our securities involves risk. You should carefully consider the specific risks discussed or incorporated by reference into the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all the other information contained in the prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. You should also consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and in subsequent filings, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. These risk factors may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC in the future or by a prospectus supplement relating to a particular offering of our securities. These risks and uncertainties are not the only risks and uncertainties we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently view as immaterial, may also impair our business. If any of the risks or uncertainties described in our SEC filings or any prospectus supplement or any additional risks and uncertainties actually occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our securities could decline and you might lose all or part of your investment.

 

 2 
 

 

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

 

The following table sets forth the computation of our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated below:

 

   Years ended December 31, 
   2015   2014   2013   2012   2011 
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges   3.0    6.7    59.6    47.3    19.2 

 

Fixed charges consist of interest expense (including amortization of deferred financing costs), and the interest component of rental expense, as estimated by management.

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered hereby for general corporate purposes, which include but are not limited to provide financing for acquisitions, capital expenditures, additions to working capital and reduction or refinancing of outstanding indebtedness or other corporate obligations.

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

We may sell the securities offered by this prospectus in any one or more of the following ways from time to time:

 

·to or through one or more underwriters, initial purchasers, brokers or dealers;

 

·through agents to investors or the public;

 

·in short or long transactions;

 

·through put or call option transactions relating to our common stock;

 

·directly to agents or other purchasers;

 

·in “at the market offerings” within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market, on an exchange or otherwise;

 

·through a combination of any such methods of sale; or

 

·through any other method described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of the offering and the method of distribution and will identify any firms acting as underwriters, initial purchasers, dealers or agents in connection with the offering, including:

 

·the terms of the offering;

 

·the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents;

 

·the name or names of any managing underwriter or underwriters;

 

·the purchase price of the securities and the proceeds to us from the sale;

 

·any over-allotment options under which the underwriters may purchase additional shares of common stock from us;

 

·any underwriting discounts, concessions, commissions or agency fees and other items constituting compensation to underwriters, dealers or agents;

 

 3 
 

 

·any delayed delivery arrangements;

 

·any public offering price;

 

·any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid by underwriters or dealers to other dealers; and

 

·any securities exchange or market on which the common stock offered in the prospectus supplement may be listed.

 

If we use underwriters for a sale of securities, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own account for resale to the public, either on a firm commitment basis or a best efforts basis. The underwriters may resell the securities in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Underwriters may offer the securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. If an underwriter or underwriters are used in the sale of securities hereunder, an underwriting agreement will be executed with the underwriter or underwriters at the time an agreement for sale is reached. Unless we inform you otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions. We may change from time to time any public offering price and any discounts or concessions the underwriters allow or pay to dealers.

 

During and after an offering through underwriters, the underwriters may purchase and sell the securities in the open market. These transactions may include overallotment and stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover syndicate short positions created in connection with the offering. The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid, which means that selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other broker-dealers for the offered securities sold for their account may be reclaimed by the syndicate if the offered securities are repurchased by the syndicate in stabilizing or covering transactions. These activities may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the offered securities, which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail in the open market. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinue these activities at any time.

 

Some or all of the securities that we offer through this prospectus may be new issues of securities with no established trading market. Any underwriters to whom we sell our securities for public offering and sale may make a market in those securities, but they will not be obligated to do so and they may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. Accordingly, we cannot assure you of the liquidity of, or continued trading markets for, any securities that we offer.

 

If dealers are used for the sale of securities, we, or an underwriter, will sell the securities to them as principals. The dealers may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices determined by the dealers at the time of resale. We will include in the applicable prospectus supplement the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction.

 

We may also sell the securities through agents designated from time to time. In the applicable prospectus supplement, we will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the offered securities, and we will describe any commissions payable to the agent. Unless we inform you otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, any agent will agree to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit purchases for the period of its appointment.

 

We may sell the securities directly in transactions not involving underwriters, dealers or agents.

 

We may sell the securities directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of those securities. We will describe the terms of any such sales in the prospectus supplement.

 

Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be underwriters as defined in the applicable securities laws and any discounts or commissions they receive from us and any profit on their resale of the securities may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the applicable securities laws. We will identify in the applicable prospectus supplement any underwriters, dealers or agents and will describe their compensation. We may have agreements with the underwriters, dealers and agents to indemnify them against specified civil liabilities, including liabilities under the applicable securities laws. We will describe the terms of any such indemnification provisions in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of their businesses for which they may receive customary fees and reimbursement of expenses.

 

We may use underwriters with whom we have a material relationship. We will describe the nature of such relationship in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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Under the securities laws of some states, the securities offered by this prospectus may be sold in those states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers.

 

We may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers and the broker-dealers may engage in short sales of the securities in the course of hedging the positions they assume with us, including, without limitation, in connection with distributions of the securities by those broker-dealers. We may enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers that involve the delivery of the securities offered hereby to the broker-dealers, who may then resell or otherwise transfer those securities. We may also loan or pledge the securities offered hereby to a broker-dealer and the broker-dealer may sell the securities offered hereby and so loaned, or upon a default may sell or otherwise transfer the pledged securities offered hereby.

 

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

 

The following description is a general summary of the terms of the shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock that we may issue. The description below and in any prospectus supplement does not include all of the terms of the shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock and should be read together with our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and our Amended and Restated Bylaws, copies of which have been filed previously with the SEC. For more information on how you can obtain copies of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws, see “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

Common Stock

 

General

 

Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, provides the authority to issue 50,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share. At June 1, 2016, there were 21,770,612 shares of common stock outstanding. Each share of our common stock has the same relative rights and is identical in all respects to each other share of our common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common stock are subject to the rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that we have issued or may issue in the future.

 

Voting Rights

 

The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on any matter to be voted upon by our stockholders. Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, provides for cumulative voting in connection with the election of directors.

 

Dividends

 

The holders of our common stock are entitled to dividends, if any, as our board of directors may declare from time to time from funds legally available for that purpose, subject to the holders of other classes of stock, if any, at the time outstanding having prior rights as to dividends, if any.

 

Liquidation Rights

 

Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of our affairs, the holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after the payment of creditors, subject to any prior liquidation distribution rights of holders of other classes of stock, if any, at the time outstanding.

 

Miscellaneous

 

Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion, redemption or sinking fund rights. The outstanding shares of our common stock are, and the shares of common stock to be offered hereby when issued will be, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

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NASDAQ Listing

 

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market System under the symbol “ECOL.”

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer and Trust Co. and its address and telephone number are 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219 and (800) 937-5449, respectively.

 

Preferred Stock

 

General

 

Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, authorizes the issuance of up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, none of which are issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus. We may issue, from time to time in one or more series, the terms of which may be determined at the time of issuance by our board of directors, without further action by our stockholders, shares of preferred stock and such shares may include voting rights, preferences as to dividends, liquidation and conversion rights, redemption rights and sinking fund provisions. The shares of each series of preferred stock shall have preferences, limitations and relative rights, including voting rights, identical with those of other shares of the same series and, except to the extent provided in the description of such series, of those of other series of preferred stock.

 

The issuance of any preferred stock could adversely affect the rights of the holders of common stock and, therefore, reduce the value of the common stock. The ability of our board of directors to issue preferred stock could discourage, delay or prevent a takeover or change in control.

 

The description of the terms of a particular series of preferred stock in the applicable prospectus supplement will not be complete. You should refer to the applicable certificate of designation for complete information regarding a series of preferred stock. The prospectus supplement will also contain a description of U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the preferred stock, if material.

 

The terms of any particular series of preferred stock will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to that particular series of preferred stock, including, where applicable:

 

·the series designation, stated value and liquidation preference of such preferred stock and the number of shares offered;

 

·the offering price;

 

·the dividend rate or rates (or method of calculation), the date or dates from which dividends shall accrue, and whether such dividends shall be cumulative or noncumulative and, if cumulative, the dates from which dividends shall commence to cumulate;

 

·any redemption or sinking fund provisions;

 

·the amount that shares of such series shall be entitled to receive in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up;

 

·the terms and conditions, if any, on which shares of such series shall be convertible or exchangeable for shares of our stock of any other class or classes, or other series of the same class;

 

·the voting rights, if any, of shares of such series in addition to those set forth under the caption entitled, “Voting Rights” below;

 

·the status as to reissuance or sale of shares of such series redeemed, purchased or otherwise reacquired, or surrendered to us on conversion or exchange;

 

 6 
 

 

·the conditions and restrictions, if any, on the payment of dividends or on the making of other distributions on, or the purchase, redemption or other acquisition by us, of our common stock or of any other class of our stock ranking junior to the shares of such series as to dividends or upon liquidation (including, but not limited to, at such times as there are arrearages in the payment of dividends or sinking fund installments);

 

·the conditions and restrictions, if any, on the creation of Company indebtedness, or on the issue of any additional stock ranking on par with or senior to the shares of such series as to dividends or upon liquidation; and

 

·any additional dividend, liquidation, redemption, sinking or retirement fund and other rights, preferences, privileges, limitations and restrictions of such preferred stock.

 

If we issue shares of preferred stock under this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement, the shares will be fully paid and non-assessable and will not have, or be subject to, any preemptive or similar rights.

 

Voting Rights

 

The Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) provides that the holders of preferred stock will have the right to vote separately as a class on any proposal involving fundamental changes in the rights of holders of that preferred stock. This right is in addition to any voting rights that may be provided for in the applicable certificate of designation.

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

The transfer agent and registrar for any series of preferred stock will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Other

 

Our issuance of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to the holders of common stock or could adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of the holders of common stock. The issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of decreasing the market price of our common stock.

 

Delaware Law and Certain Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws Provisions

 

The provisions of Delaware law and of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and Amended and Restated Bylaws discussed below could discourage or make it more difficult to acquire control of the Company by means of a tender offer, open market purchases, a proxy contest or otherwise. Our board of directors believes that these charter provisions are appropriate to protect our interests and the interests of our stockholders. A summary of these provisions is set forth below. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the DGCL, our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and our Amended and Restated Bylaws.

 

Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law

 

We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL. Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes mergers, asset sales and other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to specified exceptions, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years did own, 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock.

 

Stockholders Rights Plan Policy

 

Stockholder rights plans can protect stockholders against abusive takeover tactics and ensure that each stockholder is treated fairly in an acquisition. Such plans have been effective in connection with bids for control of other companies in giving boards of directors’ time to evaluate offers, investigate alternatives and take steps necessary to maximize value to stockholders. In lieu of adopting a stockholder rights plan, our board of directors has instead adopted a policy with respect to the adoption of any stockholder rights plan for us in the future. Our policy, adopted in July 2012 is that we will adopt a stockholder rights plan only if, in the exercise of their fiduciary duties, a majority of the independent directors conclude that it would be in our best interests and those of the holders of the majority of the shares of our common stock. Our board believes that this policy addresses the legitimate concerns that stockholders have with the use of stockholder rights plans while maintaining its ability to act in the stockholders’ best interests and preserving our flexibility to react to unanticipated situations which may arise without notice.

 

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Number of Directors; Removal; Filling Vacancies

 

Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that our board of directors will consist of not less than five and not more than nine directors, the exact number to be fixed from time to time by resolution adopted by our directors. Further, subject to the rights of the holders of any series of our preferred stock, if any, our Amended and Restated Bylaws authorize our board of directors to elect additional directors under specified circumstances and fill any vacancies that occur in our board by reason of death, resignation, removal, or otherwise. A director so elected by our board to fill a vacancy or a newly created directorship holds office until the next election and until his successor is elected and qualified. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of our preferred stock, if any, our Amended and Restated Bylaws also provide that directors may be removed with or without cause by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the combined voting power of the then outstanding stock of US Ecology, Inc.

 

Indemnification

 

We have included in our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and Amended and Restated Bylaws provisions to eliminate the personal liability of our directors for monetary damages resulting from breaches of their fiduciary duty to the extent permitted by the DGCL, and to indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL, including circumstances in which indemnification is otherwise discretionary. These provisions may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our directors and may discourage or deter stockholders or management from bringing a lawsuit against our directors for breach of their duty of care, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise have benefited the Company and our stockholders. We believe that these provisions are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.

 

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

 

We may issue warrants for the purchase of shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock or debt securities. The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer pursuant to this prospectus. The particular terms of the warrants and the extent, if any, to which the general terms and provisions may apply to the warrants so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Warrants may be issued independently or together with other securities and may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not have any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.

 

A copy of the forms of the warrant agreement and the warrant certificate relating to any particular issue of warrants will be filed with the SEC each time we issue warrants, and you should read those documents for provisions that may be important to you. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the forms of the warrant agreement and the related warrant certificate, see “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

Stock Warrants

 

The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants to issue shares of our common stock or shares of our preferred stock will describe the terms of the common share warrants and preferred share warrants, including the following:

 

·the title of the warrants;

 

·the offering price for the warrants, if any;

 

·the aggregate number of the warrants;

 

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·the designation and terms of the shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock that may be purchased upon exercise of the warrants;

 

·the terms for changes or adjustments to the exercise price of the warrants;

 

·if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities that the warrants are issued with and the number of warrants issued with each security;

 

·if applicable, the date from and after which the warrants and any securities issued with the warrants will be separately transferable;

 

·the number of shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock that may be purchased upon exercise of a warrant and the price at which the shares may be purchased upon exercise;

 

·the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants commence and expire;

 

·if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time;

 

·the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable;

 

·if applicable, a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations;

 

·anti-dilution provisions of the warrants, if any;

 

·redemption or call provisions, if any, applicable to the warrants;

 

·any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants; and

 

·any other information we deem important about the warrants.

 

Debt Warrants

 

The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants to issue debt securities will describe the terms of those warrants, including the following:

 

·the title of the warrants;

 

·the offering price for the warrants, if any;

 

·the aggregate number of the warrants;

 

·the designation and terms of the debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of the warrants;

 

·the terms for changes or adjustments to the exercise price of the warrants;

 

·if applicable, the designation and terms of the debt securities that the warrants are issued with and the number of warrants issued with each debt security;

 

·if applicable, the date from and after which the warrants and any debt securities issued with them will be separately transferable;

 

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·the principal amount of debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of a warrant and the price at which the debt securities may be purchased upon exercise;

 

·the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire;

 

·if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time;

 

·whether the warrants represented by the warrant certificates or debt securities that may be issued upon exercise of the warrants will be issued in registered or bearer form;

 

·information relating to book-entry procedures, if any;

 

·the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable;

 

·if applicable, a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations;

 

·anti-dilution provisions of the warrants, if any;

 

·redemption or call provisions, if any, applicable to the warrants;

 

·any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants; and

 

·any other information we deem important about the warrants.

 

Exercise of Warrants

 

Each warrant will entitle the holder of the warrant to purchase at the exercise price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the number of shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock or the principal amount of debt securities being offered. Holders may exercise warrants at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants are void. Holders may exercise warrants as set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants being offered.

 

Until a holder exercises the warrants to purchase our shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock or debt securities, the holder will not have any rights as a holder of our shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock or debt securities, as the case may be, by virtue of ownership of warrants.

 

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

 

The following is a general description of the terms of debt securities we may issue from time to time unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement. Particular terms of any debt securities we offer will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities.

 

As required by Federal law for all bonds and notes of companies that are publicly offered, any debt securities we issue will be governed by a document called an “indenture.” An indenture is a contract between us and a financial institution acting as trustee on behalf of the holders of the debt securities, and is subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. The trustee has two main roles. First, the trustee can enforce holders’ rights against us if we default. There are some limitations on the extent to which the trustee acts on holders’ behalf, described in the second paragraph under “Description of Debt Securities—Events of Default.” Second, the trustee performs certain administrative duties, such as sending interest and principal payments to holders.

 

Because this section is a summary, it does not describe every aspect of any debt securities we may issue or the indenture governing any such debt securities. Particular terms of any debt securities we offer will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities, and we urge you to read the applicable indenture, which will be filed with the SEC at the time of any offering of debt securities, because it, and not this description, will define the rights of holders of such debt securities.

 

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A prospectus supplement will describe the particular terms of any series of debt securities we may issue, including some or all of the following:

 

·the designation or title of the series of debt securities;

 

·the total principal amount of the series of debt securities, the denominations in which the offered debt securities will be issued and whether the offering may be reopened for additional securities of that series and on what terms;

 

·the percentage of the principal amount at which the series of debt securities will be offered;

 

·the date or dates on which principal will be payable;

 

·the rate or rates (which may be either fixed or variable) and/or the method of determining such rate or rates of interest, if any;

 

·the date or dates from which any interest will accrue, or the method of determining such date or dates, and the date or dates on which any interest will be payable;

 

·the terms for redemption, extension or early repayment, if any;

 

·the currencies in which the series of debt securities are issued and payable;

 

·whether the amount of payments of principal, interest or premium, if any, on a series of debt securities will be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method and how these amounts will be determined;

 

·the place or places of payment, transfer, conversion and/or exchange of the debt securities;

 

·the provision for any sinking fund;

 

·any restrictive covenants;

 

·events of default;

 

·whether the series of debt securities are issuable in certificated form;

 

·any provisions for legal defeasance or covenant defeasance;

 

·whether and under what circumstances we will pay additional amounts in respect of any tax, assessment or governmental charge and, if so, whether we will have the option to redeem the debt securities rather than pay the additional amounts (and the terms of this option);

 

·any provisions for convertibility or exchangeability of the debt securities into or for any other securities;

 

·whether the debt securities are subject to subordination and the terms of such subordination;

 

·any listing of the debt securities on any securities exchange;

 

·if applicable, a discussion of certain U.S. Federal income tax considerations, including those related to original issue discount, if applicable; and

 

·any other material terms.

 

The debt securities may be secured or unsecured obligations. Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, principal, interest and premium, if any, will be paid by us in immediately available funds.

 

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General

 

The indenture may provide that any debt securities proposed to be sold under this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities and any debt securities issuable upon conversion or exchange of other offered securities (“Underlying Debt Securities”) may be issued under the indenture in one or more series.

 

For purposes of this prospectus, any reference to the payment of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, debt securities will include additional amounts if required by the terms of the debt securities.

 

Debt securities issued under an indenture, when a single trustee is acting for all debt securities issued under the indenture, are called the “indenture securities.” The indenture may also provide that there may be more than one trustee thereunder, each with respect to one or more different series of securities issued thereunder. At a time when two or more trustees are acting under an indenture, each with respect to only certain series, the term “indenture securities” means the one or more series of debt securities with respect to which each respective trustee is acting. In the event that there is more than one trustee under an indenture, the powers and trust obligations of each trustee described in this prospectus will extend only to the one or more series of indenture securities for which it is trustee. If two or more trustees are acting under an indenture, then the indenture securities for which each trustee is acting would be treated as if issued under separate indentures.

 

We refer you to the applicable prospectus supplement relating to any debt securities we may issue from time to time for information with respect to any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the Events of Default (defined below) or covenants that are described below, including any addition of a covenant or other provision providing event risk or similar protection, that will be applicable with respect to such debt securities.

 

We have the ability to issue indenture securities with terms different from those of indenture securities previously issued and, without the consent of the holders thereof, to reopen a previous issue of a series of indenture securities and issue additional indenture securities of that series unless the reopening was restricted when that series was created.

 

Conversion and Exchange

 

If any debt securities are convertible into or exchangeable for other securities, the related prospectus supplement will explain the terms and conditions of the conversion or exchange, including the conversion price or exchange ratio (or the calculation method), the conversion or exchange period (or how the period will be determined), if conversion or exchange will be mandatory or at the option of the holder or the Company, provisions for adjusting the conversion price or the exchange ratio and provisions affecting conversion or exchange in the event of the redemption of the Underlying Debt Securities. These terms may also include provisions under which the number or amount of other securities to be received by the holders of the debt securities upon conversion or exchange would be calculated according to the market price of the other securities as of a time stated in the prospectus supplement.

 

Payment and Paying Agents

 

We will pay interest to the person listed in the applicable trustee’s records as the owner of the debt security at the close of business on a particular day in advance of each due date for interest, even if that person no longer owns the debt security on the interest due date. That day, often approximately two weeks in advance of the interest due date, is called the “record date.” Because we will pay all the interest for an interest period to the holders on the record date, holders buying and selling debt securities must work out between themselves the appropriate purchase price. The most common manner is to adjust the sales price of the debt securities to prorate interest fairly between buyer and seller based on their respective ownership periods within the particular interest period. This prorated interest amount is called “accrued interest.”

 

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Events of Default

 

Holders of debt securities of any series will have rights if an Event of Default occurs in respect of the debt securities of such series and is not cured, as described later in this subsection. The term “Event of Default” in respect of the debt securities of any series means any of the following:

 

·we do not pay the principal of, or any premium on, a debt security of the series on its due date;

 

·we do not pay interest on a debt security of the series within 30 days of its due date;

 

·we do not deposit any sinking fund payment in respect of debt securities of the series on its due date and we do not cure this default within 5 days;

 

·we remain in breach of a covenant in respect of debt securities of the series for 90 days after we receive a written notice of default stating we are in breach. The notice must be sent by either the trustee or holders of at least 25% of the principal amount of debt securities of the series;

 

·we file for bankruptcy or certain other events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur; and

 

·any other Event of Default occurs in respect of debt securities of the series described in the prospectus supplement.

 

An Event of Default for a particular series of debt securities does not necessarily constitute an Event of Default for any other series of debt securities issued under the same or any other indenture. The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any default, except in the payment of principal, premium or interest, if it considers the withholding of notice to be in the best interests of the holders.

 

Remedies if an Event of Default Occurs

 

If an Event of Default has occurred and has not been cured or waived, the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the debt securities of the affected series may declare the entire principal amount of all the debt securities of that series to be due and immediately payable. This is called a declaration of acceleration of maturity. A declaration of acceleration of maturity may be canceled by the holders of a majority in principal amount of the debt securities of the affected series if the default is cured or waived and certain other conditions are satisfied.

 

Except in cases of default, where the trustee has some special duties, the trustee typically is not required to take any action under an indenture at the request of any holders unless the holders offer the trustee reasonable protection from expenses and liability (called an “indemnity”). If reasonable indemnity is provided, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the relevant series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any lawsuit or other formal legal action seeking any remedy available to the trustee. The trustee may refuse to follow those directions in certain circumstances.

 

Before a holder is allowed to bypass the trustee and bring its own lawsuit or other formal legal action or take other steps to enforce its rights or protect its interests relating to any debt securities, the following must occur:

 

·the holder must give the trustee written notice that an Event of Default has occurred and remains uncured;

 

·the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of all outstanding debt securities of the relevant series must make a written request that the trustee take action because of the default and must offer reasonable indemnity to the trustee against the cost and other liabilities of taking that action;

 

·the trustee must not have taken action for 60 days after receipt of the above notice and offer of indemnity; and

 

·the holders of a majority in principal amount of the debt securities must not have given the trustee a direction inconsistent with the above notice during that 60-day period.

 

However, a holder is entitled at any time to bring a lawsuit for the payment of money due on its debt securities on or after the due date. Each year, we will furnish to each trustee a written statement of certain of our officers certifying that to their knowledge we are in compliance with the indenture and the debt securities, or else specifying any default.

 

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Waiver of Default

 

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the relevant series of debt securities may waive a default for all such series of debt securities. If this happens, the default will be treated as if it had not occurred. No one can waive a payment default on a holder’s debt security, however, without the holder’s approval.

 

Merger or Consolidation

 

Under the terms of an indenture, we may be permitted to consolidate or merge with another entity. We may also be permitted to sell all or substantially all of our assets to another entity. However, typically we may not take any of these actions unless all the following conditions are met:

 

·if we do not survive such transaction or we convey, transfer or lease our properties and assets substantially as an entirety, the acquiring company must be a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or trust, or other corporate form, organized under the laws of any state of the United States or the District of Columbia, and such company must agree to be legally responsible for our debt securities, and, if not already subject to the jurisdiction of any state of the United States or the District of Columbia, the new company must submit to such jurisdiction for all purposes with respect to the debt securities and appoint an agent for service of process;

 

·alternatively, we must be the surviving company;

 

·immediately after the transaction no Event of Default will exist;

 

·we must deliver certain certificates and documents to the trustee; and

 

·we must satisfy any other requirements specified in the prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of debt securities.

 

Modification or Waiver

 

There are three types of changes we may make to an indenture and the debt securities issued thereunder.

 

Changes Requiring Approval

 

First, there are changes that we cannot make to debt securities without specific approval of all of the holders. The following is a list of the types of changes that may require specific approval:

 

·change the stated maturity of the principal of or rate of interest on a debt security;

 

·reduce any amounts due on a debt security;

 

·reduce the amount of principal payable upon acceleration of the maturity of a security following a default;

 

·at any time after a change of control has occurred, reduce any premium payable upon a change of control;

 

·change the place or currency of payment on a debt security (except as otherwise described in the prospectus or prospectus supplement);

 

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·impair the right of holders to sue for payment;

 

·adversely affect any right to convert or exchange a debt security in accordance with its terms;

 

·reduce the percentage of holders of debt securities whose consent is needed to modify or amend the indenture;

 

·reduce the percentage of holders of debt securities whose consent is needed to waive compliance with certain provisions of the indenture or to waive certain defaults;

 

·modify any other aspect of the provisions of the indenture dealing with supplemental indentures, modification and waiver of past defaults, changes to the quorum or voting requirements or the waiver of certain covenants; and

 

·change any obligation we have to pay additional amounts.

 

Changes Not Requiring Approval

 

The second type of change does not require any vote by the holders of the debt securities. This type is limited to clarifications and certain other changes that would not adversely affect holders of the outstanding debt securities in any material respect, including the addition of covenants and guarantees. We also do not need any approval to make any change that affects only debt securities to be issued under the indenture after the change takes effect.

 

Changes Requiring Majority Approval

 

Any other change to the indenture and the debt securities may require the following approval:

 

·if the change affects only one series of debt securities, it must be approved by the holders of a majority in principal amount of that series; and

 

·if the change affects more than one series of debt securities issued under the same indenture, it must be approved by the holders of a majority in principal amount of all of the series affected by the change, with all affected series voting together as one class for this purpose.

 

The holders of a majority in principal amount of all of the series of debt securities issued under an indenture, voting together as one class for this purpose, may waive our compliance obligations with respect to some of our covenants in that indenture. However, we cannot obtain a waiver of a payment default or of any of the matters covered by the bullet points included above under “Description of Debt Securities—Modification or Waiver—Changes Requiring Approval.”

 

Further Details Concerning Voting

 

When taking a vote on proposed changes to the indenture and the debt securities, we expect to use the following rules to decide how much principal to attribute to a debt security:

 

·for original issue discount securities, we will use the principal amount that would be due and payable on the voting date if the maturity of these debt securities were accelerated to that date because of a default;

 

·for debt securities whose principal amount is not known (for example, because it is based on an index), we will use a special rule for that debt security described in the related prospectus supplement; and

 

·for debt securities denominated in one or more foreign currencies, we will use the U.S. dollar equivalent.

 

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Debt securities will not be considered outstanding, and therefore not eligible to vote, if we have deposited or set aside in trust money for their payment or redemption. Debt securities will also not be eligible to vote if they have been fully defeased as described later under “Description of Debt Securities—Defeasance—Legal Defeasance.”

 

We generally will be entitled to set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the holders of outstanding indenture securities that are entitled to vote or take other action under the indenture. If we set a record date for a vote or other action to be taken by holders of one or more series, that vote or action may be taken only by persons who are holders of outstanding indenture securities of those series on the record date and must be taken within 11 months following the record date.

 

Book-entry and other indirect holders will need to consult their banks or brokers for information on how approval may be granted or denied if we seek to change the indenture or the debt securities or request a waiver.

 

Defeasance

 

The following provisions will be applicable to each series of debt securities unless we state in the applicable prospectus supplement that the provisions of covenant defeasance and legal defeasance will not be applicable to that series.

 

Covenant Defeasance

 

We can make the deposit described below and be released from some of the restrictive covenants in the indenture under which the particular series was issued. This is called “covenant defeasance.” In that event, the holders would lose the protection of those restrictive covenants but would gain the protection of having money and government securities set aside in trust to repay holders’ debt securities. If applicable, a holder also would be released from the subordination provisions described under “Description of Debt Securities—Indenture Provisions—Subordination” below. In order to achieve covenant defeasance, we must do the following:

 

·If the debt securities of the particular series are denominated in U.S. dollars, we must deposit in trust for the benefit of all holders of such debt securities a combination of money and U.S. government or U.S. government agency notes or bonds that will generate enough cash to make interest, principal and any other payments on the debt securities on their various due dates;

 

·We may be required to deliver to the trustee a legal opinion of our counsel confirming that, under current U.S. Federal income tax law, we may make the above deposit without causing the holders to be taxed on the debt securities any differently than if we did not make the deposit and just repaid the debt securities ourselves at maturity; and

 

·We must deliver to the trustee certain documentation stating that all conditions precedent to covenant defeasance have been complied with.

 

If we accomplish covenant defeasance, holders can still look to us for repayment of the debt securities if there were a shortfall in the trust deposit or the trustee is prevented from making payment. In fact, if one of the remaining Events of Default occurred (such as our bankruptcy) and the debt securities became immediately due and payable, there might be a shortfall. Depending on the event causing the default, holders may not be able to obtain payment of the shortfall.

 

Legal Defeasance

 

As described below, we can legally release ourselves from all payment and other obligations on the debt securities of a particular series (called “legal defeasance”), (1) if there is a change in U.S. Federal income tax law that allows us to effect the release without causing the holders to be taxed any differently than if the release had not occurred, and (2) if we put in place the following other arrangements for holders to be repaid:

 

·If the debt securities of the particular series are denominated in U.S. dollars, we must deposit in trust for the benefit of all holders of such debt securities a combination of money and U.S. government or U.S. government agency notes or bonds that will generate enough cash to make interest, principal and any other payments on the debt securities on their various due dates;

 

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·We may be required to deliver to the trustee a legal opinion confirming that there has been a change in current U.S. Federal income tax law or an Internal Revenue Service ruling that allows us to make the above deposit without causing the holders to be taxed on the debt securities any differently than if we did not make the deposit and just repaid the debt securities ourselves at maturity. Under current U.S. Federal income tax law, the deposit and our legal release from the debt securities would be treated as though we paid each holder its share of the cash and notes or bonds at the time the cash and notes or bonds were deposited in trust in exchange for its debt securities and holders would recognize gain or loss on the debt securities at the time of the deposit; and

 

·We must deliver to the trustee a legal opinion and officers’ certificate stating that all conditions precedent to legal defeasance have been complied with.

 

If we ever did accomplish legal defeasance, as described above, holders would have to rely solely on the trust deposit for repayment of the debt securities. Holders could not look to us for repayment in the unlikely event of any shortfall. Conversely, the trust deposit would most likely be protected from claims of our lenders and other creditors if we ever became bankrupt or insolvent. If applicable, holders would also be released from the subordination provisions described later under “Description of Debt Securities—Indenture Provisions—Subordination.”

 

Resignation of Trustee

 

Each trustee may resign or be removed with respect to one or more series of indenture securities provided that a successor trustee is appointed to act with respect to such series. In the event that two or more persons are acting as trustee with respect to different series of indenture securities under the indenture, each of the trustees will be a trustee of a trust separate and apart from the trust administered by any other trustee.

 

Indenture Provisions—Subordination

 

Upon any distribution of our assets upon our dissolution, winding up, liquidation or reorganization, the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on any indenture securities denominated as subordinated debt securities is to be subordinated to the extent provided in the indenture in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness (defined below), but our obligation to holders to make payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such subordinated debt securities will not otherwise be affected. In addition, no payment on account of principal (or premium, if any), interest or sinking fund, if any, may be made on such subordinated debt securities at any time unless full payment of all amounts due in respect of the principal (and premium, if any), interest and sinking fund, if any, on Senior Indebtedness has been made or duly provided for in money or money’s worth.

 

In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment from us is received by the trustee in respect of subordinated debt securities or by the holders of any of such subordinated debt securities before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full, the payment or distribution must be paid over to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness or on their behalf for application to the payment of all the Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid until all the Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness. Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, the holders of such subordinated debt securities will be subrogated to the rights of the holders of the Senior Indebtedness to the extent of payments made to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness out of the distributive share of such subordinated debt securities.

 

By reason of this subordination, in the event of a distribution of our assets upon our insolvency, certain of our senior creditors may recover more, ratably, than holders of any subordinated debt securities. The related indenture will provide that these subordination provisions will not apply to money and securities held in trust under the defeasance provisions of the indenture.

 

“Senior Indebtedness” will be defined in an applicable indenture as the principal of (and premium, if any) and unpaid interest on:

 

·our indebtedness (including indebtedness of others guaranteed by us), whenever created, incurred, assumed or guaranteed, for money borrowed (other than indenture securities issued under the indenture and denominated as subordinated debt securities), unless in the instrument creating or evidencing the same or under which the same is outstanding it is provided that this indebtedness is not senior or prior in right of payment to the subordinated debt securities; and

 

·renewals, extensions, modifications and refinancings of any of such indebtedness.

 

The prospectus supplement accompanying any series of indenture securities denominated as subordinated debt securities will set forth the approximate amount of our Senior Indebtedness outstanding as of a recent date.

 

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Trustee

 

We intend to name the indenture trustee for each series of indenture securities in the related prospectus supplement.

 

Certain Considerations Relating to Foreign Currencies

 

Debt securities denominated or payable in foreign currencies may entail significant risks. These risks include the possibility of significant fluctuations in the foreign currency markets, the imposition or modification of foreign exchange controls and potential illiquidity in the secondary market. These risks will vary depending upon the currency or currencies involved and will be more fully described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTS

 

The following is a general description of the terms of the rights we may issue from time to time unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement. Particular terms of any rights we offer will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to such rights.

 

General

 

We may issue rights to purchase common stock, preferred stock, debt securities or units. Rights may be issued independently or together with other securities and may or may not be transferable by the person purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with any rights offering to our stockholders, we may enter into a standby underwriting, backstop or other arrangement with one or more underwriters or other persons pursuant to which such underwriters or other persons would purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such rights offering. In connection with a rights offering to our stockholders, we would distribute certificates evidencing the rights and a prospectus supplement to our stockholders on or about the record date that we set for receiving rights in such rights offering.

 

The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the following terms of any rights we may issue, including some or all of the following:

 

·the title and aggregate number of the rights;

 

·the subscription price or a formula for the determination of the subscription price for the rights and the currency or currencies in which the subscription price may be payable;

 

·if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which the rights are issued and the number of rights issued with each such security or principal amount of such security;

 

·the number or a formula for the determination of the number of rights issued to each stockholder;

 

·the extent to which the rights are transferable;

 

·in the case of rights to purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of one right;

 

 18 
 

 

·in the case of rights to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the type of stock and number of shares of stock that may be purchased upon exercise of one right;

 

·the date on which the right to exercise the rights will commence, and the date on which the rights will expire (subject to any extension);

 

·if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the rights that may be exercised at any one time;

 

·the extent to which such rights include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities;

 

·if applicable, the procedures for adjusting the subscription price and number of shares of common stock or preferred stock that may be purchased upon the exercise of each right upon the occurrence of certain events, including stock splits, reverse stock splits, combinations, subdivisions or reclassifications of common stock or preferred stock;

 

·the effect on the rights of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business;

 

·the terms of any rights to redeem or call the rights;

 

·information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;

 

·the terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the rights;

 

·if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting, backstop or other purchase arrangement that we may enter into in connection with the rights offering;

 

·if applicable, a discussion of certain U.S. Federal income tax considerations; and

 

·any other terms of the rights, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the rights.

 

Exercise of Rights

 

Each right will entitle the holder to purchase for cash or other consideration such shares of stock or principal amount of securities at the subscription price as shall in each case be set forth in, or be determinable as set forth in, the prospectus supplement relating to the rights offered thereby. Rights may be exercised as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement beginning on the date specified therein and continuing until the close of business on the expiration date set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the rights offered thereby. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised rights will become void.

 

Upon receipt of payment and a subscription certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the subscription agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as practicable, forward the securities that may be purchased upon such exercise. If less than all of the rights represented by such subscription certificate are exercised, a new subscription certificate will be issued for the remaining rights. If we so indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the rights may surrender securities as all or part of the exercise price for rights.

 

We may determine to offer any unsubscribed offered securities directly to stockholders, persons other than stockholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby underwriting, backstop or other arrangements, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Prior to exercising their rights, holders of rights will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities that may be purchased upon exercise, including, in the case of rights to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the right to receive dividends, if any, or payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise any voting rights or, in the case of rights to purchase debt securities, the right to receive principal, premium, if any, or interest payments, on the debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture.

 

 19 
 

 

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

 

We may issue units comprising one or more securities described in this prospectus in any combination. The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the units that we may offer pursuant to this prospectus. The particular terms of the units and the extent, if any, to which the general terms and provisions may apply to the units so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit also is the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the unit will have the rights and obligations of each included security. Units will be issued pursuant to the terms of a unit agreement, which may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately at any time or at any time before a specified date. A copy of the forms of the unit agreement and the unit certificate relating to any particular issue of units will be filed with the SEC each time we issue units, and you should read those documents for provisions that may be important to you. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the forms of the unit agreement and the related unit certificate, see “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

The prospectus supplement relating to any particular issuance of units will describe the terms of those units, including, to the extent applicable, the following:

 

·the designation and terms of the units and the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately;

 

·any provision for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and

 

·whether the units will be issued in fully registered or global form.

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

The validity of the securities being offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Dechert LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

 

EXPERTS

 

The consolidated financial statements incorporated in this prospectus by reference from US Ecology, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and the effectiveness of US Ecology Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report, which is incorporated herein by reference and which (1) expresses an unqualified opinion on the consolidated financial statements and includes an explanatory paragraph relating to the Company’s change in its method of presentation for deferred taxes and debt issuance costs upon the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-17 Income Taxes (Topic 740) – Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes and ASU 2015-03 Interest – Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) – Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs and (2) expresses an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Such consolidated financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

With respect to the unaudited interim financial information which is incorporated herein by reference, Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, have applied limited procedures in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) for a review of such information. However, as stated in their report included in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q incorporated by reference herein, they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that interim financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their report on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied. Deloitte & Touche LLP are not subject to the liability provisions of Section 11 of the Securities Act for their report on the unaudited interim financial information because those reports are not "reports" or a "part" of the Registration Statement prepared or certified by an accountant within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of the Securities Act.

 

 20 
 

 

UPDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Effective January 1, 2016, we changed our internal reporting structure by moving the financial results of our Sulligent, Alabama and Tampa, Florida locations from our Environmental Services segment to our Field & Industrial Services segment. The purpose of this change is to align our internal reporting structure with how we manage our business based on the primary service offering of each location. Segment results for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 have been recast to reflect this change. Segment results for the year ended December 31, 2013 were not impacted by the change.

 

Summarized financial information of our reportable segments for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 is as follows:

 

   2015 
$s in thousands  Environmental Services   Field & Industrial Services   Corporate   Total 
Treatment & Disposal Revenue  $291,062   $12,911   $   $303,973 
Services Revenue:                    
Transportation and Logistics (1)   67,978    29,060        97,038 
Industrial Cleaning (2)       85,783        85,783 
Technical Services (3)       67,479        67,479 
Remediation (4)       6,734        6,734 
Other (5)       2,063        2,063 
Total Revenue  $359,040   $204,030   $   $563,070 
                     
Depreciation, amortization and accretion  $34,870   $9,425   $527   $44,822 
Capital expenditures  $29,823   $7,513   $2,034   $39,370 
Total assets  $586,561   $124,127   $61,299   $771,987 

 

   2014 
$s in thousands  Environmental Services   Field & Industrial Services   Corporate   Total 
Treatment & Disposal Revenue  $252,471   $6,859   $   $259,330 
Services Revenue:                    
Transportation and Logistics (1)   59,015    24,585        83,600 
Industrial Cleaning (2)       49,822        49,822 
Technical Services (3)       37,416        37,416 
Remediation (4)       16,410        16,410 
Other (5)       833        833 
Total Revenue  $311,486   $135,925   $   $447,411 
                     
Depreciation, amortization and accretion  $28,130   $6,843   $303   $35,276 
Capital expenditures  $19,512   $8,014   $908   $28,434 
Total assets  $618,524   $219,815   $71,708   $910,047 

__________________________

(1)Includes such services as collection, transportation and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous waste. Prior to the acquisition of EQ Holdings, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries on June 17, 2014, services within Environmental Services included transportation services.
(2)Includes such services as industrial cleaning and maintenance for refineries, chemical plants, steel and automotive plants, and refinery services such as tank cleaning and temporary storage.
(3)Includes such services as total waste management programs, retail services, laboratory packing, less-than-truck-load service and household hazardous waste collection.
(4)Includes such services as site assessment, onsite treatment, project management and remedial action planning and execution.
(5)Includes such services as emergency response and marine.

 

 21 
 

 

The primary financial measure used by management to assess segment performance is Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income before net interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation, amortization, stock based compensation, accretion of closure and post-closure liabilities, foreign currency gain/loss and other income/expense, which are not considered part of usual business operations. Adjusted EBITDA is a complement to results provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) and we believe that such information provides additional useful information to analysts, stockholders and other users to understand the Company’s operating performance. Since Adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement determined in accordance with GAAP and is thus susceptible to varying calculations, Adjusted EBITDA as presented may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. Items excluded from Adjusted EBITDA are significant components in understanding and assessing our financial performance. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to, or substitute for, net income, cash flows generated by operations, investing or financing activities, or other financial statement data presented in the consolidated financial statements as indicators of financial performance or liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or a substitute for analyzing our results as reported under GAAP. Some of the limitations are:

 

·Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;
·Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our interest expense, or the requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our debt;
·Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our income tax expenses or the cash requirements to pay our taxes;
·Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments; and
·Although depreciation and amortization charges are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements.

 

A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 is as follows:

 

$s in thousands  2015   2014 
Adjusted EBITDA:          
Environmental Services  $150,067   $123,086 
Field & Industrial Services   21,388    8,638 
Corporate   (46,005)   (22,748)
Total   125,450    108,976 
           
Reconciliation to Net income:          
Income tax expense   (21,244)   (22,814)
Interest expense   (23,370)   (10,677)
Interest income   65    107 
Foreign currency loss   (2,196)   (1,499)
Loss on divestiture   (542)    
Other income   1,267    669 
Impairment charges   (6,700)    
Depreciation and amortization of plant and equipment   (27,931)   (24,413)
Amortization of intangibles   (12,307)   (8,207)
Stock-based compensation   (2,297)   (1,250)
Accretion and non-cash adjustment of closure & post-closure liabilities   (4,584)   (2,656)
Net income  $25,611   $38,236 

 

 22 
 

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

We file annual, quarterly and other reports, proxy and information statements and other information with the SEC. Copies of these materials may be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of its public reference room. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information regarding the Company. The address of the SEC website is http://www.sec.gov. We maintain a website at www.usecology.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated into this prospectus and you should not consider information contained on our website to be part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.

 

INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information contained in documents that we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC before the date of this prospectus, while information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede prior information. Any information so updated and superseded shall not be deemed, except as so updated and superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we will make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), prior to the termination of the offering. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless specifically stated to the contrary, none of the information that is not deemed “filed” with the SEC, including information furnished under Items 2.02 or 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K, will be incorporated by reference into, or otherwise included in, this prospectus:

 

  1. our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 filed with the SEC on February 29, 2016 (File No. 000-11688);
     
  2.

our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 filed with the SEC on May 2, 2016 (File No. 000-11688);

     
  3. our Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the SEC on August 29, 2014 under Item 9.01 (File No. 000-11688);
     
  4.

our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 18, 2016 under Item 5.02 (File No. 000-11688); and

     
  5. our description of our common stock contained in the registration statement filed under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description (File No. 333-187003).

 

We make available, free of charge, through our website our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. You may also obtain, free of charge, a copy of any of these documents (other than exhibits to these documents unless the exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into these documents or referred to in this prospectus) by writing or calling us at the following address and telephone number:

 

US Ecology, Inc.

251 E. Front St.

Suite 400

Boise, ID 83702

Attention: Corporate Secretary

(208) 331-8400

 

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US ECOLOGY, INC.

 

Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Warrants
Debt Securities
Units

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P R O S P E C T U S

 

 

 

 

                , 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
 

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

 

The following table sets forth the estimated fees and expenses of the issuance and distribution of the securities registered under this registration statement, other than any underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

SEC registration fee   $ (1)
Federal and state taxes and fees     (2)
Legal fees and expenses     (2)
Accounting fees and expenses     (2)
Transfer agent and registrar fees and expenses     (2)
Stock exchange listing fees     (2)
Printing and engraving expenses     (2)
Miscellaneous expenses     (2)
         
Total   $ (2)

 

 

(1)

Pursuant to Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act, the SEC registration fee has been deferred and will be paid at the time of any particular offering of securities under this registration statement, and is therefore not estimable at this time.

(2) These fees will be dependent on the number and amount of offerings under this registration statement and, therefore, cannot be estimated at this time. In accordance with Rule 430B, additional information regarding estimated fees and expenses will be provided at the time information as to an offering is included in a prospectus supplement.

 

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

 

Section 145 of the DGCL permits a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or another enterprise if serving at the request of the corporation. Depending on the character of the proceeding, a corporation may indemnify against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person indemnified acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. In the case of an action by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification may be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine that, despite the adjudication of liability, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the court shall deem proper. Section 145 further provides that to the extent a director, officer, employee or agent of a corporation has been successful in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above, or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he or she shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith.

 

 II-1 
 

 

Delaware law authorizes a corporation to limit or eliminate the personal liability of its directors for monetary damages for breach of a director’s fiduciary duty of care. Delaware law further enables corporations to limit available relief to equitable remedies such as injunction or rescission. Absent the limitations authorized by Delaware law, directors are accountable for monetary damages for conduct constituting gross negligence in the exercise of their duty of care. Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation requires us to indemnify to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law any person who is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that such person is or was our director or officer or is serving, during their tenure as a director or officer, another enterprise at our request. Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation limits the liability of our directors to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Accordingly, our directors will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of a fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for breach of the duty of loyalty, for acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, for the unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions as provided in Section 174 of the DGCL, or for any transaction in which a director has derived an improper personal benefit. The indemnification provided by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation is not exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be otherwise entitled.

 

We have obtained a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our directors and officers against the cost of defense.

 

We believe that the foregoing policies and provisions of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, are necessary to attract and retain qualified officers and directors. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted or required with respect to our directors, officers or control persons, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

Item 16. Exhibits

 

The following documents are filed as exhibits to this registration statement, including those exhibits incorporated herein by reference to one of our prior filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act as indicated in parentheses:

 

Exhibit
Number

  Document
1.1*   Form of underwriting agreement
2.1   Stock Purchase Agreement among EQ Parent Company, Inc., EQ Group, LLC and US Ecology, Inc. dated April 6, 2014 (incorporated by reference from US Ecology, Inc.’s 2nd Quarter Form 10-Q filed on August 11, 2014).
2.2   Stock Purchase Agreement between EQ Industrial Services Inc., and ASPV Holdings, Inc. dated August 4, 2015 (incorporated by reference from US Ecology, Inc.’s 3rd Quarter Form 10-Q filed on November 4, 2015).
4.1   Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference from US Ecology, Inc.’s 2009 Form 10-K filed on March 4, 2010).
4.2   Amended and Restated By-Laws (incorporated by reference from US Ecology, Inc.’s Form 8-K filed on December 11, 2007).
4.3   Specimen Certificate representing shares of US Ecology, Inc.’s $.01 par value Common Stock (incorporated by reference from US Ecology, Inc.’s Form S-3 filed on September 9, 1997).
4.4*   Form of certificate of designation with respect to any preferred stock issued hereunder and the related form of preferred stock certificate.
4.5*   Form of warrant agreement.
4.6*   Form of warrant certificate.
4.7   Form of indenture to be entered into between registrant and a trustee acceptable to the registrant.
4.8*   Form of debt security.
4.9*   Form of rights certificate.
4.10*   Form of unit agreement.
4.11*   Form of unit certificate.
5.1   Opinion of Dechert LLP.
12.1   Calculation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.
15   Letter re: Unaudited Interim Financial Statements
23.1   Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
23.2   Consent of Dechert LLP (included in its Opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 hereto).
23.3   Consent of Plante & Moran, PLLC
24.1   Powers of Attorney (included on signature page).
25.1**   Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 under Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
 
*   To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a document filed under the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference herein.
**   To be filed separately pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the appropriate rules and regulations thereunder.

 

 II-2 
 

 

Item 17. Undertakings

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high and of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or any material change to such information in this registration statement;

 

provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) above do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-1, Form S-3, Form SF-3 or Form F-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

 

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

 

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or date of the first sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of this registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into this registration statement or prospectus that is a part of this registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in this registration statement or prospectus that was a part of this registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

 

 II-3 
 

 

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

(6) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(7) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted against the registrant by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

(8) The undersigned hereby undertakes that:

 

(i) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as a part of this registration statement in reliance on Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be a part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

(ii) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(9) If and when applicable, to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under Section 305(b)(2) of the Act.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Boise, ID on the 3rd day of June, 2016.

     
US Ecology, INC.
   
By:   /s/ Jeffrey R. Feeler
    Jeffrey R. Feeler
    President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Jeffrey R. Feeler and Eric L. Gerratt, and each of them, as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement and sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by the registration statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ Jeffrey R. Feeler  

President and Chief Executive Officer

  June 3, 2016
Jeffrey R. Feeler   (Principal Executive Officer)    
         
/s/ Eric L. Gerratt   Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer   June 3, 2016
Eric L. Gerratt  

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

   
         
/s/ Stephen A. Romano   Director   June 3, 2016

Stephen A. Romano

       
         
/s/ Joe F. Colvin   Director   June 3, 2016
Joe F. Colvin        
         
/s/ Daniel Fox   Director   June 3, 2016
Daniel Fox        
         
/s/ Katina Dorton   Director   June 3, 2016
Katina Dorton        
         
/s/ John T. Sahlberg   Director   June 3, 2016
John T. Sahlberg        

 

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