Proposal · Transaction Structure
A 30-year Build-Own-Operate agreement converts Johnson County's ~1,200 TPD addressable waste stream into a net revenue-positive fiscal position from Month 13 — with zero County capital expenditure, zero construction risk, and zero operational liability.
PREPARED FOR
Johnson County, Kansas · Board of County Commissioners
Distributed Multi-Center Deployment · 400 / 800 / 1,200 TPD
PREPARED BY
Carbotura, Inc.
Advanced Circular Manufacturing · March 2026
§0 — What This Means
Executive summary · What is offered · What the County commits · What the County receives
-
01
What Carbotura offers. A 30-year Build-Own-Operate (BOO) Commercial Off-take Agreement (COA). Carbotura finances, constructs, and operates 3–4 distributed ACM facilities totaling 400 TPD (Initial) → 800 TPD (Medium) → 1,200 TPD (Expanded) across Johnson County. The county delivers waste feedstock. Carbotura accepts it, processes it, and pays the Circular Royalty.
-
02
What the County commits. Delivery of addressable feedstock to agreed ACM centers at the agreed tonnage schedule. Payment of the TMC Fee ($100/ton base, escalating at 2.5%/year) upon confirmed receipt. No capital commitment. No construction debt. No operational liability. No technology risk.
-
03
What the County receives. Circular Royalty payments beginning Month 13 after first feedstock delivery — rolling, monthly, for the 30-year COA term. At steady state, the Circular Royalty is designed to exceed the TMC Fee per ton, converting the county's waste budget from a cost center into a net positive revenue position. Estimated Year 2 net: +$2.6M/year at Phase Initial; +$40.5M/year at Year 30 Phase Expanded.
-
04
The distributed multi-center design. 3–4 ACM centers of 300–400 TPD each are distributed across the county's four quadrants. This reduces average haul distance by 40–60%, serving the county's 477-square-mile geography at optimal logistics cost, and creates redundancy unavailable to a single-facility model.
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05
The decision window. A Community Feasibility Study authorized by the end of Q3 2026 is required for Phase Initial to reach COD before Q4 2028 — leaving 9 years of operational ACM infrastructure before the WM landfill's 2037 worst-case closure. Every quarter of delay compresses the margin between ACM readiness and disposal crisis.
§1 — Commercial Structure and Decision Window
COA structure · Obligations · Hard deadline derivation
Carbotura Obligations
- ✓ Finance 100% of ACM facility capital (~$247.5M initial)
- ✓ Design, permit, construct all distributed centers
- ✓ Operate facilities for full 30-year COA term
- ✓ Accept all agreed feedstock streams
- ✓ Pay Circular Royalty monthly from Month 13
- ✓ Maintain performance guarantees per COA terms
County Obligations
- → Deliver agreed feedstock volumes to ACM centers
- → Pay TMC Fee per confirmed received ton
- → Provide site access during feasibility and construction
- → Facilitate permit coordination with municipal partners
- 0 Zero capital expenditure
- 0 Zero construction or technology risk
Decision Window Derivation
WM landfill worst-case closure2037
Less: Phase Initial COD lead time−24 mo
Less: Feasibility Study−3 mo
Latest feasibility authorizationQ1 2035
Earlier authorization preserves more operational runway before the crisis window. Q3 2026 authorization targets full Phase Expanded online by 2031.
Hard Deadline — Action Window: A Community Feasibility Study authorized by Q3 2026 enables Phase Initial COD by Q4 2028 — leaving ~9 years of operational ACM infrastructure before the 2037 worst-case landfill closure. Delaying until 2030 reduces this margin to 5 years. Delaying until 2035 eliminates it. The landfill has no replacement plan, no siting process underway, and no contracted alternative.
Executive Implications — §1
- The BOO structure transfers all capital, construction, and technology risk to Carbotura. The county's sole financial exposure is the TMC Fee per delivered ton — a variable cost that replaces the current per-ton landfill disposal cost.
- A Community Feasibility Study is the correct next procurement step. It requires no binding commitment on capital or COA terms — it is an analytical instrument that produces the site-specific data required to negotiate the COA with full information.
- The distributed 3–4 center model means site failures at one center do not interrupt county-wide service. This multi-point structure is a material risk mitigation advantage over the current single-landfill dependency.
§2 — Deployment Architecture
Phase configuration · Capital structure · Site candidate analysis
§2.1 — Phase Configuration
| Phase | TPD Deployed | Modules | Centers | Annual Feedstock | % of Addressable | COD | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | 400 | 4 (ceil(400/100)) | 1–2 | 146,000 TPY | 33% | T0 + 24 months | EST |
| Medium | 800 | 8 | 2–3 | 292,000 TPY | 67% | T0 + 42 months | EST |
| Expanded | 1,200 | 12 | 3–4 | 438,000 TPY | 100% | T0 + 60 months | EST |
T0 = Community Feasibility Study completion date (TBD). Timeline basis: Carbotura standard deployment schedule.
Johnson County ACM Deployment — Phased Capacity Build-Out
Three phases scale from 400 to 1,200 TPD over 60 months from T0, distributed across 3–4 centers spanning the county's 477 sq mi.
Phase Initial
400 TPD · 1–2 centers
T0+24mo
Phase Medium
800 TPD · 2–3 centers
T0+42mo
Phase Expanded
1,200 TPD · 3–4 centers
T0+60mo
Source: Carbotura standard deployment schedule · TPD values from Registry §D · Status: ESTIMATED
§2.2 — BOO Capital Structure
Zero County Capex · Zero Construction Debt · Zero Operational Liability
Carbotura finances, builds, and operates all ACM facilities under a Build-Own-Operate structure. The county's sole financial obligation under the COA is the TMC Fee per confirmed ton of feedstock received. Carbotura's capital structure for the initial 400 TPD deployment: $247.5M total project cost funded as 20% equity / 15% grant / 65% debt — sourced entirely from Carbotura's institutional SPV. See SPV Finance document for full capital structure detail.
Carbotura finances, builds, and operates all ACM facilities under a Build-Own-Operate structure. The county's sole financial obligation under the COA is the TMC Fee per confirmed ton of feedstock received. Carbotura's capital structure for the initial 400 TPD deployment: $247.5M total project cost funded as 20% equity / 15% grant / 65% debt — sourced entirely from Carbotura's institutional SPV. See SPV Finance document for full capital structure detail.
| Phase | Total CapEx (Carbotura) | County Capital Commitment | County Liability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial (400 TPD) | $247.5M | $0 | $0 |
| Medium (800 TPD cumulative) | $477.5M | $0 | $0 |
| Expanded (1,200 TPD cumulative) | $707.5M | $0 | $0 |
CapEx calculated per Carbotura standard parameters: $75M first 100 TPD module + $57.5M per additional 100 TPD module.
§2.3 — Feedstock Stream Coverage by Phase
| Stream | Phase Initial | Phase Medium | Phase Expanded | Access Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential MSW (~600 TPD) | ✓ Primary | ✓ | ✓ | IMMEDIATE |
| Yard Waste / Organics (~120 TPD) | ✓ Primary | ✓ | ✓ | IMMEDIATE |
| Commercial MSW (~350 TPD) | Partial | ✓ | ✓ | CONDITIONAL |
| C&D Debris (~90 TPD) | — | Partial | ✓ | CONDITIONAL |
| Biosolids / FOG (~40 TPD) | — | — | ✓ | ACCESSIBLE |
§2.4 — Site Candidate Analysis
Priority 1 Finding: Shawnee I-435 Industrial Corridor
The Shawnee industrial corridor at I-435 / Johnson Drive is the Priority 1 candidate for Phase Initial ACM center deployment. It is directly adjacent to the WM Johnson County Landfill — the primary existing feedstock convergence point for the county's NE quadrant, with I-435 access for 400–500 daily delivery vehicles. The area is already zoned industrial (confirmed by Shawnee planning department) and has precedent for industrial facilities in direct proximity to the landfill site, including the Archaea Energy plant and Contractors Park. De Soto/Gardner West is the strategic anchor for Phase Expanded distribution in the county's fastest-growing corridor.
The Shawnee industrial corridor at I-435 / Johnson Drive is the Priority 1 candidate for Phase Initial ACM center deployment. It is directly adjacent to the WM Johnson County Landfill — the primary existing feedstock convergence point for the county's NE quadrant, with I-435 access for 400–500 daily delivery vehicles. The area is already zoned industrial (confirmed by Shawnee planning department) and has precedent for industrial facilities in direct proximity to the landfill site, including the Archaea Energy plant and Contractors Park. De Soto/Gardner West is the strategic anchor for Phase Expanded distribution in the county's fastest-growing corridor.
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All zone data available in panel →
ACM Candidate Zones · Johnson County KS
P1 — Priority 1
P2 — Priority 2
P3 — Priority 3
Feedstock Ref
Sources: Shawnee Planning Commission · johnsoncountypost.com · jocogov.org · KDHE site records · Carbotura Feasibility Assessment · Operator verification March 2026
Site Candidate Summary Table
| Priority | Zone | Est. Acreage | Zoning | Land Authority | Co-location Advantage | Key Consideration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | Shawnee I-435 Industrial Corridor | 15–25 ac | Industrial (Shawnee) | City of Shawnee Planning / private industrial | Adjacent to WM landfill; Perimeter Park industrial ecosystem; I-435 truck access; existing industrial permits | Proximity to landfill SUP constraints; community odor/flaring sensitivity |
| P2 | Olathe Industrial District (I-35 / NW Olathe) | 20–30 ac | I-1/I-2 Industrial (Olathe) | City of Olathe Community Development | Adjacency to Olathe Transfer Station; serves SW quadrant (~350K residents); I-35 corridor; growing industrial base | Site availability needs confirmation; rail access limited |
| P3 | De Soto / Gardner West Corridor | 40+ ac | Industrial (Sunflower Redevelopment) | Sunflower Redevelopment Group / Johnson County Planning | Panasonic EV Battery Facility industrial anchor; 28-mi haul reduction from W JC; large parcels; growth zone | Infrastructure build-out in progress; greenfield site requirements |
§2.5 — Finding: Phase Initial Feedstock Fully Supportable Without Third-Party Negotiation
Phase Initial (400 TPD) is fully supportable from IMMEDIATE-access streams alone — residential MSW (~600 TPD available) and yard waste/organics (~120 TPD). No commercial hauler contract renegotiation, no C&D landfill transition, and no JCW service agreement is required before Phase Initial reaches COD. The county can authorize a Feasibility Study and proceed to construction on the basis of streams it already controls.
Phase Initial (400 TPD) is fully supportable from IMMEDIATE-access streams alone — residential MSW (~600 TPD available) and yard waste/organics (~120 TPD). No commercial hauler contract renegotiation, no C&D landfill transition, and no JCW service agreement is required before Phase Initial reaches COD. The county can authorize a Feasibility Study and proceed to construction on the basis of streams it already controls.
§3 — Economic Structure — TMC Fee
Formula · Annual obligation · FWDC disclosure · Escalation
FWDC Planning Basis: Johnson County's Full Waste Disposal Cost is $42/ton (ESTIMATED). This is derived from the EREF 2024 Kansas state average tipping fee of $34.78/ton — the lowest in the United States — plus a Waste Management private operator premium adjustment. The WM Johnson County Landfill gate rate is not publicly posted. All figures using the FWDC carry ESTIMATED status. Confirmation via KDHE tonnage data or direct WM contract disclosure is recommended prior to COA negotiation.
TMC Fee Formula — Johnson County
TMC_Fee = MAX($100, MIN($150, FWDC − $5))
With FWDC = $42/ton (ESTIMATED):
MAX($100, MIN($150, $42 − $5)) = MAX($100, $37) = $100.00/ton ← floor applies
MAX($100, MIN($150, $42 − $5)) = MAX($100, $37) = $100.00/ton ← floor applies
Floor (minimum)
$100/ton
Carbotura standard parameter — operative here
Ceiling (maximum)
$150/ton
Carbotura standard parameter
Annual escalator
2.5% / year
Carbotura standard parameter
Year 5 TMC
~$110.38/ton
$100 × (1.025)⁴
Year 10 TMC
~$125.02/ton
$100 × (1.025)⁹
Year 30 TMC
~$203.89/ton
$100 × (1.025)²⁹
Annual TMC Fee Obligation by Phase
| Phase | TPD | Annual TPY | TMC (Year 1) | Annual Obligation (Yr 1) | Annual Obligation (Yr 5) | Annual Obligation (Yr 10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | 400 | 146,000 | $100/ton | $14.6M EST | ~$16.1M | ~$18.3M |
| Medium | 800 | 292,000 | $100/ton | $29.2M EST | ~$32.2M | ~$36.5M |
| Expanded | 1,200 | 438,000 | $100/ton | $43.8M EST | ~$48.3M | ~$54.8M |
Annual obligation = TMC_Fee_Year × annual_TPY. All figures carry ESTIMATED status from FWDC planning basis.
Executive Implications — §3
- The TMC Fee floor of $100/ton applies because Kansas's tipping fee environment is the lowest in the US. The TMC Fee represents a premium over current disposal costs — but this premium is recovered by the Circular Royalty, which exceeds $120/ton from Month 13. The net fiscal position turns positive from the first royalty payment.
- When the WM landfill closes (est. 2037), the county's disposal alternatives will cost an estimated $80–120/ton more than the current $42/ton — making the $100 TMC Fee significantly below the post-closure alternative cost. The TMC Fee buys 30 years of cost certainty against an uncertain and rising post-closure market.
§4 — Circular Royalty
Contractual definition · Parameter table · Fiscal periods · Year-by-year cash flow
Three Canonical Statements — Circular Royalty Structure
- Gross cost displacement is quantified separately from Circular Royalty cash flow. Full net fiscal position reflects both.
- At steady state, the Circular Royalty is designed to exceed the TMC Fee on a per-ton basis.
- Circular Royalty payments begin 13 months after corresponding TMC Fee payments and ramp to full run-rate on a rolling basis.
Circular Royalty Formula
Royalty(m+13) = TMC(m) × Royalty_Rate(m)
Where m = month of TMC Fee payment · m+13 = month of corresponding Royalty payment · Royalty_Rate escalates annually
Base royalty rate120%of Year 1 TMC per ton
Royalty escalator+1 pp/yearYear 2: 121% · Year 5: 124%
Payment lag13 monthsalways — rolling monthly
Royalty basisRolling monthlymatches TMC payment months
TMC escalator2.5%/yearapplies to both TMC and royalty base
COA term30 yearsstandard
Mandatory Fiscal Period Distinction
| Period | Timing | County Pays | County Receives | Net Position/ton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Royalty Period | Months 1–12 after first feedstock delivery | $100.00/ton TMC Fee | $0 royalty | −$100.00/ton |
| Royalty Ramp — Month 13 | Month 13 after first delivery | $102.50/ton TMC Fee | $120.00/ton royalty | +$17.50/ton |
| Steady State | Year 2 onwards (rolling) | Escalating at 2.5%/yr | Escalating faster (royalty rate +1pp/yr) | Growing positive spread |
Pre-Royalty Period — Budget Planning Note: During Months 1–12 after Phase Initial COD, the county pays the TMC Fee and receives zero Circular Royalty. This pre-royalty period totals 13 months from first feedstock delivery. At Phase Initial (146,000 TPY), pre-royalty budget impact = −$14.6M (Year 1 TMC) before any royalty receipt. This period must be modeled as a distinct fiscal line item in County budget planning — it is not an averaging period.
Year-by-Year Cash Flow Summary
Volumes scale by phase as each phase reaches full operations. Net position = Royalty received minus TMC paid in the same calendar year.
| Year | Phase | TPD | TMC/ton | Royalty/ton | Royalty Rate | TMC Paid (Annual) | Royalty Received | Net Annual Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Initial | 400 | $100.00 | $0 | — | $14,600,000 | $0 | −$14,600,000 |
| Year 2 | Initial | 400 | $102.50 | $120.00 | 120% | $14,965,000 | $17,520,000 | +$2,555,000 |
| Year 5 | Medium | 800 | $110.38 | $133.54 | 124% | $32,231,000 | $38,993,000 | +$6,762,000 |
| Year 10 | Expanded | 1,200 | $125.02 | $157.17 | 129% | $54,759,000 | $68,840,000 | +$14,081,000 |
| Year 20 | Expanded | 1,200 | $160.54 | $217.71 | 139% | $70,317,000 | $95,358,000 | +$25,041,000 |
| Year 30 | Expanded | 1,200 | $203.89 | $296.36 | 149% | $89,303,000 | $129,806,000 | +$40,503,000 |
All annual figures carry ESTIMATED status. Royalty formula: Royalty(m+13) = TMC(m) × Royalty_Rate(m). Royalty_Rate = 120% Year 1, +1pp/year. TMC escalates 2.5%/year. Net position = royalty received − TMC paid in same calendar year.
Circular Royalty vs. TMC Fee — 30-Year Crossover
Royalty exceeds TMC Fee from Month 13. The spread widens continuously as the royalty rate escalates faster (+1pp/year) than the TMC Fee (+2.5%/year compounding). At Year 30, the royalty generates $96/ton more than the TMC Fee paid.
Source: Carbotura Circular Royalty model · Registry §E–§F · Formula: Royalty(m+13) = TMC(m) × Royalty_Rate(m) · Status: ESTIMATED from locked registry parameters
Executive Implications — §4
- The Circular Royalty converts from a cost obligation to a net positive position at Month 13 — the first royalty payment. At Phase Initial (146,000 TPY), Year 2 net positive = +$2.6M. This is the beginning of a growing annual return that reaches +$40.5M at Year 30 Phase Expanded.
- The 13-month pre-royalty period is a structural characteristic of the rolling royalty model — not a contract deficiency. It must be planned for in the county budget as a distinct phase. At $14.6M total (Phase Initial Year 1 TMC), it is a known, bounded cost.
- By Year 10, at full expansion, the annual royalty surplus is +$14.1M — a recurring general fund contribution that compounds for the remaining 20 years of the COA.
§5 — Risk Register
Key risks · Responsibility allocation · Mitigations
| Risk | Key Driver | Who Bears It | Mitigation | Residual Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FWDC verification | WM gate rate unconfirmed; ESTIMATED at $42/ton | County (planning basis risk) | Confirm via KDHE tonnage data or WM contract disclosure during Feasibility Study | TMC Fee floor ($100/ton) is operative regardless — FWDC confirmation does not change fee at current ESTIMATED value |
| Technology performance | ACM output yield variations | Carbotura (fully) | COA performance guarantees; TPD acceptance obligations; technology insurance | County bears zero technology risk under BOO structure |
| Timeline slippage | Permitting delays; supply chain; site complications | Carbotura (construction risk) | Distributed 3–4 center model staggers risk; no single critical path; parallel permitting | Phase Initial delay compresses pre-2037 operational window — Feasibility Study authorization timing is the key lever |
| Commercial hauler contract constraints | 3–5 year commercial hauler agreements with WM | County (access constraint) | Phase Initial uses only IMMEDIATE-access residential streams; commercial stream access triggered at hauler contract renewal | Phase Medium delayed if commercial contracts renew at WM; Phase Initial unaffected |
| WM landfill SUP non-renewal | Shawnee 1-year SUP (Nov 2024); methane/odor issues | County (exposure to disposal crisis) | ACM deployment eliminates dependence on WM landfill before closure; Phase Initial COD by Q4 2028 creates 9-year buffer | If SUP denied before ACM is operational, county faces immediate haul cost shock — strongest argument for accelerated authorization |
| Competitive procurement trigger | Procurement rules for long-term disposal contracts | County (process risk) | Community Feasibility Study is pre-competitive; COA entered through appropriate procurement process | Feasibility Study findings are publicly available and inform procurement specification |
| Residual stream management | Non-ACM-processable materials (e.g. certain hazardous fractions) | County (residual) | ACM processes all material classes; residual is minimal; HHW facility handles hazardous diversion | Small residual stream requires ongoing disposal arrangement — volume ESTIMATED at <2% of total |
| PFAS regulatory tightening | EPA PFAS rules on biosolids land application | County / JCW (shared) | ACM converts biosolids to industrial materials — removes land application exposure entirely | PFAS regulatory risk is lower under ACM than under continued land application; regulatory tailwind for biosolids stream transition |
§6 — Deployment Timeline
Milestones · Hard deadline · First Circular Royalty payment
| Milestone | Offset from T0 | Target Date (Q3 2026 T0) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Feasibility Study Authorization ← DECISION POINT | T0 | Q3 2026 | BOCC authorization required. Community Feasibility Study: 90-day analytical process. No capital commitment. |
| Community Feasibility Study completion | T0 + 3 months | Q4 2026 | Site confirmation · volume verification · COA terms drafted |
| Phase Initial construction start | T0 + 6 months | Q1 2027 | Permitting and site preparation begin at P1 (Shawnee Industrial Corridor) |
| Phase Initial COD — 400 TPD | T0 + 24 months | Q3 2028 | First ACM center operational. TMC Fee obligations begin. |
| First Circular Royalty Payment | T0 + 37 months | Q4 2029 | Rolling monthly royalty begins. Net position turns positive. |
| Phase Medium COD — 800 TPD | T0 + 42 months | Q1 2030 | 2–3 centers operational across NE and SE quadrants |
| Phase Expanded COD — 1,200 TPD | T0 + 60 months | Q3 2031 | 3–4 distributed centers fully operational. Full 1,200 TPD capacity. |
| ⚠ WM Landfill worst-case closure | — | 2037 | MARC Regional Landfill Capacity Study (Burns & McDonnell, Jan 2024). Hard external deadline. ACM fully operational 6 years prior under Q3 2026 T0 scenario. |
T0 = Community Feasibility Study authorization date. Timeline basis: Carbotura standard deployment schedule. Dates assume Q3 2026 authorization.
§7 — Community Value Stack
County fiscal effects · Regional economic effects — presented separately
§7.1 — Johnson County Fiscal Effects
| Fiscal Item | Year 1 (Pre-Royalty) | Year 2 (Phase Initial) | Year 10 (Expanded) | Year 30 (Expanded) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TMC Fee paid | −$14.6M | −$15.0M | −$54.8M | −$89.3M |
| Circular Royalty received | $0 | +$17.5M | +$68.8M | +$129.8M |
| Gross cost displacement (FWDC avoided) | +$6.1M | +$6.1M | +$18.4M | +$18.4M |
| Net county fiscal position | −$8.5M | +$8.6M | +$32.4M | +$58.9M |
Gross cost displacement = FWDC $42/ton × annual TPY (Phase Initial 146,000 TPY; Expanded 438,000 TPY). All figures ESTIMATED. Net county fiscal position = Royalty received + FWDC avoided − TMC paid.
Gross cost displacement is quantified separately from Circular Royalty cash flow. Full net fiscal position reflects both.
§7.2 — Regional Economic Effects
| Economic Impact Item | Phase Initial (400 TPD) | Phase Expanded (1,200 TPD) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct FTE (ACM operations, all centers) | 48 jobs | 144 jobs | EST |
| Indirect/induced employment (2.5× multiplier) | 120 jobs | 360 jobs | EST |
| Annual economic impact | ~$28M/year | ~$84M/year | EST |
| Total employment supported | 168 jobs | 504 jobs | EST |
| ACM industrial output value (graphite, graphene, hydrogen) | Preliminary estimate pending feedstock characterization | Preliminary estimate pending feedstock characterization | NULL |
Economic impact figures are from Carbotura standard parameters. They are distinct from county fiscal effects — regional economic activity is not a direct county budget line item. Industrial output value requires confirmed feedstock characterization for quantification.
§8 — Why This Works in Johnson County
Six alignment factors — each tracing to Registry or Waste Study
01 — VOLUME ALIGNMENT
Johnson County's ~1,200 TPD net disposal stream precisely matches a 1,200 TPD Phase Expanded deployment. Phase Initial at 400 TPD is fully supportable from immediately accessible residential streams alone — no commercial renegotiation required to activate.
02 — INFRASTRUCTURE ALIGNMENT
The Shawnee I-435 industrial corridor (P1) is adjacent to the WM landfill — the existing feedstock convergence hub for 400–500 daily trucks. The Olathe Transfer Station (P2) provides an existing SW quadrant consolidation anchor. The De Soto/Gardner corridor (P3) is the strategic western expansion zone anchored by the Panasonic EV Battery Facility.
03 — CONTRACT TIMING ALIGNMENT
A Q3 2026 Feasibility Study authorization places Phase Initial COD at Q3 2028 — 9 years before the WM landfill's 2037 worst-case closure. Full Phase Expanded is operational by Q3 2031, giving the county 6 years of full-scale ACM operations before the disposal crisis materializes. No other alternative achieves this timeline — a new landfill would take 10–15 years to permit.
04 — POLICY ALIGNMENT
The Johnson County SWMP adopted September 5, 2024 identifies composting and recycling expansion goals — but explicitly does not identify a viable alternative disposal destination for the waste stream. The SWMP gap is a policy mandate that ACM directly addresses. The Kansas regulatory environment — no WTE, no landfill siting path, tightening EPA biosolids rules — aligns with ACM as the structurally preferred solution.
05 — ORGANIC MANDATE / REGULATORY DRIVER
JCW's Phase 2 Integrated Plan (2025–2029) invests $2.1B in wastewater infrastructure improvements under EPA WIFIA financing. EPA PFAS rules are tightening land application standards for biosolids — JCW's primary solids disposal pathway. An ACM co-processing pathway converts biosolids from a JCW regulatory liability into a co-processed feedstock, reducing long-term treatment cost and regulatory exposure simultaneously.
06 — ECONOMICS SPECIFICITY
The TMC Fee of $100/ton is derived from Johnson County's specific disposal cost environment — the lowest tipping fee state in the US ($34.78/ton EREF 2024). The floor applies, not the FWDC-derived formula. The Circular Royalty ($120/ton from Month 13) is designed to exceed this floor on a per-ton basis, generating a net positive position from Year 2. At Year 30, the royalty surplus alone equals $40.5M/year — more than double the current total annual disposal cost estimate.
EIR Input Block — State B Values (ACM Deployment)
All values below are locked for EIR use. State B = with Carbotura ACM deployment. All figures must appear identically in the EIR — no alteration permitted.
Deployment model
Distributed multi-center BOO
Phase Initial TPD
400 TPD
1–2 centers · 4 modules
Phase Medium TPD
800 TPD
2–3 centers · 8 modules
Phase Expanded TPD
1,200 TPD
3–4 centers · 12 modules
Phase Initial COD
T0 + 24 months
Target Q3 2028 (Q3 2026 T0)
First royalty payment
T0 + 37 months
13-month lag from Phase Initial COD
TMC Fee base
$100.00/ton
Floor operative (FWDC $42/ton EST)
TMC escalator
2.5%/year
Royalty base rate
120% of Year 1 TMC
Royalty escalator
+1 pp/year
Royalty payment lag
13 months (always)
Pre-royalty period
Months 1–12
$0 royalty; TMC paid in full
Yr 1 net/ton (Initial)
−$100.00
Month 13 net/ton
+$17.50
Yr 10 net/ton (Expanded)
+$46.08
Yr 30 net/ton (Expanded)
+$95.83
FWDC avoided (Year 1)
$42/ton
ESTIMATED — planning basis
Carbon displacement
~350,000 tCO₂e/yr
ESTIMATED — at 1,200 TPD
Direct FTE (Expanded)
144
ESTIMATED — Carbotura standard
Annual economic impact
~$84M/year
ESTIMATED — at full expansion
COA term
30 years
Accounting standard
US GAAP
State B label
With Carbotura ACM
State A label
Current System (WM landfill)
Appendix A — Data Basis
Public-readable sources for all key figures
TMC Fee base ($100/ton) — User intake instruction, March 2026. Floor operative per Carbotura standard formula: MAX($100, MIN($150, FWDC−$5)) with FWDC $42/ton (ESTIMATED).
FWDC ($42/ton) — EREF Analysis of MSW Landfill Tipping Fees 2024; Kansas state average $34.78/ton + WM private operator premium. erefdn.org — ESTIMATED status.
WM landfill closure 2037 — MARC Regional Landfill Capacity Study, Burns & McDonnell, January 2024. marc.org/document/landfill-capacity-study
1-year SUP renewal (Nov 2024) — Johnson County Post, November 13, 2024 and October 23, 2024. johnsoncountypost.com
CapEx structure ($247.5M / $477.5M / $707.5M) — Carbotura standard parameters: $75M first 100 TPD + $57.5M per additional 100 TPD. 20% equity / 15% grant / 65% debt.
Addressable feedstock (1,200 TPD) — Derived from Johnson County SWMP 2024 (80% disposal rate) + US Census 2024 population (632,276) + EPA per-capita generation 4.9 lbs/person/day. ESTIMATED status.
P1 Site — Shawnee Industrial Corridor — Shawnee Planning Commission approval of Contractors Park (industrial zoning) at 18700 Johnson Drive near I-435 and WM landfill; Shawnee Comprehensive Plan "Achieve Shawnee" (Oct 2021, updated Feb 2025); Shawnee EDC Perimeter Park designation as largest industrial corridor. cityofshawnee.org · shawnee-edc.com
P2 Site — Olathe Industrial District — Olathe Industrial Tracts neighborhood designation; United Industrial Park; TVH Industrial Park (16355 S Lone Elm Rd). City of Olathe Community Development. olatheks.gov
P3 Site — De Soto / Gardner Corridor — Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant redevelopment; Panasonic EV Battery Facility at Lexington Ave / K-10; Astra Enterprise Park (10301 Astra Pkwy, De Soto). Johnson County improvements report (Winter 2024). jocogov.org
Employment / economic impact — Carbotura standard parameters (ESTIMATED). Registry §G. Direct FTE: 12/100 TPD. Indirect multiplier: 2.5×.