Legal defeasance and covenant defeasance
We may, at our option and at any time, elect to have our obligations discharged with respect to the notes then outstanding (“Legal Defeasance”). Such Legal Defeasance means that we shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the notes then outstanding, except for:
(1) the rights of Holders to receive payments in respect of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the notes when such payments are due;
(2) our obligations with respect to the notes concerning issuing temporary notes, registration of notes, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen notes and the maintenance of an office or agency for payments;
(3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee and our obligations in connection therewith; and
(4) the Legal Defeasance provisions of the Indenture.
In addition, we may, at our option and at any time, elect to have our obligations released with respect to certain covenants that are described in the Indenture, including those described under “— Certain covenants — Limitation on liens,” “— Certain covenants — Limitation on sale and lease-back transactions” and “— Repurchase upon change of control triggering event” (“Covenant Defeasance”), and thereafter any omission to comply with such obligations shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to the notes. In the event Covenant Defeasance occurs, certain events (not includingnon-payment, bankruptcy, receivership, reorganization and insolvency events) described under “— Events of default” will no longer constitute an Event of Default with respect to the notes.
In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance with respect to the notes:
(1) we must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee, in trust, for the benefit of the Holders cash in U.S. dollars,non-callable U.S. government obligations or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants, to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the notes on the stated date for payment thereof or on the applicable redemption date, as the case may be;
(2) in the case of Legal Defeasance, we must deliver to the Trustee an opinion of counsel in the United States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that:
(a) we have received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling; or
(b) since the date of the Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law,
in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion of counsel shall confirm that, the beneficial owners of the notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(3) in the case of Covenant Defeasance, we must deliver to the Trustee an opinion of counsel in the United States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that the beneficial owners of the notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;
(4) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing with respect to such notes on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or an Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit and the grant of any Lien securing such borrowings);
(5) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under the Indenture with respect to such notes (other than a Default or an Event of Default
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