Environmental Impact Review · DOC 03 OF 06

What this document is

Environmental and regulatory analysis: manufacturing classification basis, emissions profile, and structural alignment with the permitting framework. Delta model comparing current system (State A) vs ACM deployment (State B).

Three things this document says
  1. ACM facilities classify under manufacturing NAICS Sector 31–33 (325180, 325998, 327992, 331110, 331314, 331492) — never solid-waste codes (562212, 562213, 562219, 562220, 562920).
  2. The process is anoxic, oxygen-free, and microwave-catalytic; no combustion, no stack, near-zero atmospheric discharge by design.
  3. Manufacturing classification (NAICS 31–33) is the Regulatory Predicate Transition (RPT) basis for the engagement.

At the planning-basis FWDC, ACM deployment delivers a Circular Royalty™ of $120/ton from Month 13, growing to $295/ton at Year 30 — at zero county capital.

Inherited Confidence Flags

The following data quality flags are carried forward from the Waste Study and Proposal into this review. All analysis reflects these conditions.

Confidence classifications inherited from prior sections

  • Feedstock volumes (all streams) are estimated — derived from population-based EPA methodology and verified component disposal rates. Not independently confirmed by county waste composition study.
  • The Full Weighted Disposal Cost (FWDC) of $95/ton is modeled — a volume-weighted blend of verified component rates. Individual stream rates are verified from the October 2024 county rate schedule.
  • Phase deployment dates (COD Q2 2028 / Q4 2029 / Q2 2031) are based on the Carbotura standard deployment schedule from an assumed T0 of Q2 2026. These dates are estimated.
  • Employment and economic impact figures are estimated using Carbotura standard parameters scaled by phase capacity. No independent economic multiplier study has been conducted for Hillsborough County.
  • Environmental performance metrics (carbon displacement, water recovery, energy output) reflect designed performance under standard operating conditions. Actual performance is subject to feedstock composition variability.
  • Pasco County and regional commercial feedstock volumes supporting Phase Expanded are estimated — commercial CSA negotiations have not commenced.

Introduction and Decision Summary

§1.1 — What This Report Measures

This Environmental Impact Review is a delta model. It measures the difference between two defined states:

State A — Current System: Hillsborough County continues its existing waste management trajectory — WTE processing at Reworld™ RRF capacity, overflow and non-processable waste routed to the Southeast County Landfill, biosolids composted at the SE Landfill or landfilled. Costs escalate structurally; no new infrastructure is in development.

State B — With Carbotura: A 30-year Circular Supply Agreement with the Carbotura SPV converts up to 2,000 TPD of manufacturing feedstock into industrial materials. Under the CSA, the county pays a Beneficiation Fee (TMC Fee) per ton delivered and receives Circular Royalty™ payments commencing Month 13 — two independent transactions. The Legacy Remediation Royalty is a CSA add-on that stacks alongside the Circular Royalty™ at no additional fee. Zero county capital is required.

State A is sourced from the Waste Study and locked Registry values. State B is sourced exclusively from the Proposal EIR Input Block. No values in this document are independently derived.

§1.2 — Decision Summary Table

ANALYSIS BASIS — STANDARD CSA

Under the CSA, Hillsborough County pays the Beneficiation Fee and receives the Circular Royalty™. The Legacy Remediation Royalty (Exogenesis™ path) is a CSA add-on; its fiscal analysis is presented in the Proposal §4.1.

DimensionState A — Current SystemState B — With Carbotura (Phase Initial)
Annual disposal cost (Phase Initial volume)~$13,870,000/yr at $95/ton blended FWDCYear 1: Beneficiation Fee $14,600,000 · Royalty $0 (pre-royalty period)
Year 2+: Royalty $17,520,000 · Beneficiation Fee $14,965,000 — independent transactions
Pre-royalty periodN/AMonths 1–12: county pays $100/ton TMC, receives $0 royalty
Year 2 per-ton flowsCost: −$95/ton (current FWDC)Fee −$102.50/ton; Royalty +$120/ton (separate transactions)
Year 30 per-ton flowsCost: ~−$161/ton (FWDC escalated)Fee −$204.64/ton; Royalty +$295.48/ton (separate transactions)
County capital obligationLandfill cell expansion capital (continuing obligation)$0
Key data gapsFWDC is MODELED — blended $95/tonFeedstock volumes ESTIMATED; timeline ESTIMATED
Decision deadlineN/AQ3 2026 — Authorization deadline to hold Q2 2028 COD
Cost of one quarter's delay~$1.4M avoidable disposal cost per quarter (Phase Initial)
Classification (RPT) ACM permitted only under manufacturing NAICS codes (325180, 325998, 327992, 331110, 331314, 331492 — US Sector 31–33). Solid waste codes (562212 / 562213 / 562219 / 562920) are expressly excluded. Both parties commit to the RPT pathway; the endpoint is categorical — manufacturing classification across all permitting, licensing, and regulatory contexts. Interim bridging authorities may apply during the transition. Federal basis: RCRA §1004(27) · 40 CFR §261.2(e). Standing condition · MR §3

§1.3 — Fiscal vs. Regional Economic Separation

REQUIRED DISTINCTION

This document maintains a strict separation between county fiscal effects and regional economic effects. County fiscal effects — Beneficiation Fee (TMC Fee) obligations, Circular Royalty™ receipts (independent transaction), disposal cost displacement, and avoided capital — are quantified in Section 4 and Section 8.1. Regional economic effects — employment, wage income, induced spending, and industrial output — are quantified separately in Section 5 and Section 8.2. These categories must not be combined or netted against each other.

State A Baseline

Source: Waste Study and locked Registry values. No new diagnosis in this section.

§2.1 — Feedstock Volume and Disposition

StreamTPDTPYCurrent DestinationOperatorRateConfidence
Unsorted MSW1,200438,000Reworld™ RRF (processable) + SE Landfill (overflow)HC Solid Waste Mgmt. Dept.$110/ton (processable); $58/ton (non-processable)VERIFIED
WTE Combustion Ash360131,400SE County Landfill — ash monofillHC Solid Waste Mgmt. Dept.~$58/ton non-processable rateESTIMATED
Biosolids / Sludge16058,400SE Landfill co-composting + remainder to landfillHC Water Resources + City of Tampa$30.89/ton compostingVERIFIED
Tires259,125SE County LandfillHC Solid Waste Mgmt. Dept.$211/tonVERIFIED
Pasco County MSW~500~182,500Pasco County systemPasco County Solid WasteN/A — not current HC obligationESTIMATED
Regional C&I~300~109,500Private disposalPrivate haulersN/AESTIMATED
Total (HC primary)1,745636,925All streams continue to existing disposal destinations in State A

§2.2 — State A Cost Structure

Cost ElementAnnual Cost (estimated)Source Type
MSW processable disposal (1,200 TPD × $110 × 365)~$48,180,000ESTIMATED volume; VERIFIED rate
WTE ash landfill (360 TPD × $58 × 365)~$7,621,200ESTIMATED volume; VERIFIED rate proxy
Biosolids composting (160 TPD × $30.89 × 365)~$1,804,948VERIFIED rate; ESTIMATED volume
Tire disposal (25 TPD × $211 × 365)~$1,925,375VERIFIED rate; ESTIMATED volume
FWDC blended planning basis~$95/ton · ~$60M total addressable (1,745 TPD)MODELED
Landfill cell expansion capital (ongoing)Quantum not confirmed — material (multi-million $)DATA GAP
Rate escalation (3%+ annually)Structural — documented by countyVERIFIED

§2.3 — State A Cost Trajectory

Three mechanisms drive State A cost escalation — all documented in the Waste Study: (1) population growth adding ~400 new waste customers per month at 3%+ annual tonnage growth; (2) capital reinvestment pressure at the 162-acre Southeast County Landfill, where cell elevation expansion is already underway; and (3) absence of any competing disposal alternative in the county's planning horizon through 2065. State A escalation is structural and one-directional.

§2.4 — State A Environmental and Structural Position

State A sends approximately 730,000 TPY of the 2,000 TPD addressable volume to landfill and WTE combustion — generating an estimated 480,000 tonnes CO₂e per year from streams that ACM would otherwise process into industrial materials. The SE County Landfill's cell expansion further extends active landfill footprint on a 162-acre site with finite vertical capacity. PFAS contamination risk from biosolids under tightening federal standards represents a structural liability that increases in State A and diminishes in State B.

State B Deployment Baseline

Source: Proposal EIR Input Block exclusively. All values below trace directly to locked Proposal values.

§3.1 — Inherited Flags

All State B values carry the same confidence classifications as the Proposal: phase capacities and COD dates are ESTIMATED; Beneficiation Fee (TMC Fee) and royalty parameters are Carbotura standard; P1 site address and rail access are VERIFIED. The FWDC planning basis of $95/ton (MODELED) governs all gross cost displacement calculations.

§3.2 — Deployment Configuration

PhaseTPDModulesAnnual TPYCODCumulative TPY
Phase Initial4004 (ceil 400/100)146,000Q2 2028146,000
Phase Medium8008 (ceil 800/100)292,000Q4 2029292,000
Phase Expanded2,00020 (ceil 2000/100)730,000Q2 2031730,000

§3.3 — Economic Terms (from Proposal EIR Input Block)

ParameterValue
Beneficiation Fee (TMC Fee) Year 1$100.00/ton
Beneficiation Fee escalator+2.5%/year
Circular Royalty™ base rate120% of that year's Beneficiation Fee ($120/ton in Year 2)
Royalty escalator+1 percentage point/year
Royalty payment lag13 months after corresponding TMC payment
Pre-royalty periodMonths 1–12 from start of feedstock delivery
First royalty paymentJuly 2029
Year 1 per-ton flowsFee −$100.00 paid; Royalty $0 (pre-royalty period)
Year 2 per-ton flowsFee −$102.50; Royalty +$120.00 (separate transactions)
Year 30 per-ton flowsFee −$204.64; Royalty +$295.48 (separate transactions)
County capex obligation$0
Accounting standardUS GAAP

§3.4 — Residual Obligations

Under State B, Hillsborough County continues to operate its existing solid waste infrastructure for all volumes not covered by the ACM CSA. At Phase Initial (400 TPD), approximately 1,345 TPD of county-primary feedstock remains in the State A system. Phase Expanded (2,000 TPD) covers all identifiable Hillsborough County primary streams plus regional supplemental sourcing — residual county disposal obligation approaches zero for covered streams at full build-out.

§3.5 — Timeline Anchoring

All State B timelines originate from T0 = Q2 2026. Phase Initial COD of Q2 2028 represents T0 + 24 months using the Carbotura standard construction schedule. First Circular Royalty™ payment (July 2029) is T0 + 37 months. All timelines are ESTIMATED.

§3.6 — Phase Delta Map

State A infrastructure (grey/steel) versus State B ACM facility (emerald). The geographic shift from distributed disposal to concentrated manufacturing is the core structural change.

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State A — Current System
Hillsborough County RRF
Reworld™ · 350 N. Falkenburg Rd., Tampa · 1,800 TPD WTE · At permitted capacity — structural throughput ceiling
Southeast County Landfill
HC Solid Waste Mgmt. Dept. · 15960 County Rd. 672, Lithia · 162-acre Class I · Receiving WTE ash + overflow MSW · Cell expansion underway · Finite capacity
Falkenburg Road AWTP
HC Water Resources Dept. · 102 N. Falkenburg Rd., Tampa · Primary county biosolids generator · Biosolids currently composted or landfilled
Howard F. Curren AWTP
City of Tampa Wastewater Dept. · 2700 Maritime Blvd., Tampa · 96 MGD design capacity · City of Tampa biosolids
State B — With Carbotura
ACM Facility — Priority 1 Site
Dade City Business Center · 15486 US-301, Dade City, FL · 355 acres · CSX Wildwood Subdivision rail · Heavy Industrial (approved) · Receives up to 2,000 TPD from Hillsborough County + regional sources via CSA
State A — WTE
State A — Landfill
State A — WWTP
State B — ACM

State A sources: reworldwaste.com; hcfl.gov; tampa.gov/wastewater. State B source: Proposal EIR Input Block, Proposal §2.4 P1 site. Verified March 2026.

Delta Analysis

§4.1 — Three Delta Components

The fiscal delta between State A and State B consists of exactly three components that must be tracked separately:

  1. Gross cost displacement: The reduction in disposal cost resulting from the Beneficiation Fee (TMC Fee) replacing the State A FWDC. At $100/ton Beneficiation Fee vs. $95/ton blended FWDC, the gross displacement is −$5/ton in Year 1 (slight additional cost vs. blended basis). Against stream-specific primary rate of $110/ton, displacement is +$10/ton from Year 1.
  2. Circular Royalty™ cash flow: Revenue received by the county commencing Month 13, at 120% of that year's Beneficiation Fee escalating +1pp/year via multiplier mechanic. Independent transaction — paid from Carbotura product revenues. $120/ton in Year 2, growing annually.
  3. Residual obligation: The continuing cost of managing waste volumes not covered by the CSA in the relevant phase. Declines to near-zero at Phase Expanded.

§4.1 — Phase-by-Phase Comparative Table

Item Phase Initial (400 TPD) Phase Medium (800 TPD) Phase Expanded (2,000 TPD)
ACM Volume (TPY)146,000292,000730,000
State A cost for volume (at $95/ton FWDC)$13,870,000$27,740,000$69,350,000
State B Beneficiation Fee (TMC Fee) Year 1$14,600,000$29,200,000$73,000,000
Gross displacement Year 1 (vs. blended FWDC)−$730,000−$1,460,000−$3,650,000
Royalty Year 1 (pre-royalty period)$0$0$0
Royalty Year 2 ($120/ton)$17,520,000$35,040,000$87,600,000
Royalty Year 30 ($295.48/ton)$43,140,080$86,280,160$215,700,400
Residual disposal volume (TPY)~490,925~344,925~0
Residual State A cost~$46,638,000~$32,768,000~$0
Year 1 fiscal delta vs. State A−$730,000−$1,460,000−$3,650,000
Year 2 fiscal delta vs. State A+$2,555,000+$5,110,000+$12,775,000
County CapEx$0$0$0

All figures ESTIMATED. Year 1: Beneficiation Fee paid · Royalty $0. Year 2+: Beneficiation Fee and Royalty are independent concurrent transactions. Residual disposal cost at State A rates for uncovered volumes.

§4.3 — PRE-ROYALTY PERIOD SEPARATION — REQUIRED

Year 1 and post-Month 13 periods have materially different fiscal characteristics. They must not be combined. Year 1 (Months 1–12 from start of feedstock delivery): Hillsborough County pays the Beneficiation Fee ($100/ton) and receives zero Circular Royalty™ (pre-royalty period). Post-Month 13 (Year 2 onward): Circular Royalty™ payments begin at $120/ton. Both are independent transactions — the Circular Royalty™ exceeds the Beneficiation Fee by $17.50/ton in Year 2, with that spread compounding annually for the remaining 29 years of the CSA term.

State A vs. State B Annual Cost/Receipt — Phase Initial (400 TPD)
State B: Circular Royalty™ inflow (emerald) begins Year 2 — an independent transaction that exceeds the Beneficiation Fee outflow (red) every year from Month 13, with the spread widening annually.
$10M $20M $30M $40M Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 5 Yr 10 Yr 20 Yr 30 Pre-royalty → $0 State A disposal cost State B Beneficiation Fee Circular Royalty™ received
Source: Carbotura royalty model — Phase Initial 400 TPD / 146,000 TPY. State A at $95/ton FWDC (MODELED). All values ESTIMATED. US GAAP.

§4.4 — 30-Year Gross Cost Displacement (Phase Initial)

YearState A Cost (FWDC escalated ~2%/yr)State B Beneficiation FeeGross Displacement
1$13,870,000$14,600,000−$730,000
2$14,147,400$14,965,000−$817,600
5$14,991,566$16,115,480−$1,123,914
10$16,540,750$18,233,940−$1,693,190
20$20,179,680$23,923,560−$3,743,880
30$24,600,240$29,877,440−$5,277,200

State A FWDC escalated at 2%/yr (conservative). All ESTIMATED.

§4.5 — 30-Year Circular Royalty™ — Phase Initial

YearRoyalty RateRoyalty/tonAnnual Royalty
1$0$0
2120%$120.00$17,520,000
5123%$132.46$19,339,160
10128%$155.95$22,768,700
20138%$220.61$32,209,060
30148%$295.48$43,140,080

Royalty figures are amounts received. The royalty is paid 13 months in arrears, so the figure shown for a year is earned on the previous year’s delivered tonnage.

State B Fiscal Position — Three Gross Items, Years 1–20
State B converts disposal cost into Beneficiation Fee plus royalty income. All three items shown gross. Year 1 is cost-only; Year 2 onward royalty income exceeds TMC Fee.
Phase Initial · 400 TPD · 146,000 TPY
Avoided disposal cost Beneficiation Fee paid Circular Royalty™ received
$95/ton
Avoided disposal · Year 1
$100/ton
Beneficiation Fee paid · Year 1
$120/ton
Royalty received · Year 2
Carbotura delta model · Registry values · State B per Proposal EIR Input Block · All ESTIMATED. US GAAP.

System-Level Impact

§5.1 — Employment Delta

⚑ Regional economic effects — not county fiscal receipts. These figures are not included in the fiscal flows reported above.

Employment EffectPhase InitialPhase MediumPhase ExpandedStatus
Direct FTE~35~65~155ESTIMATED
Indirect jobs~105~195~465ESTIMATED
Annual economic impact~$18.5M~$37M~$92.5M/yrESTIMATED
Construction jobs (2-yr period)~180~320~750ESTIMATED

Scaled from Carbotura standard 400 TPD baseline parameters. Regional multipliers applied. Not a county fiscal receipt.

§5.2 — Environmental Delta

⚑ Designed-performance basis — actual performance subject to feedstock composition variability and operating conditions.

Environmental MetricState A (annual)State B — Phase Expanded (annual)DeltaStatus
CO₂e displaced (tonnes/yr)~0 (landfill generates CH₄)~800,000 tonnes/yr avoided+800,000 t/yrESTIMATED
Landfill diversion (TPY)Baseline — ~730,000 TPY landfilled~730,000 TPY diverted~730,000 TPYESTIMATED
Ultrapure water recovery (m³/yr)$0~290,000 m³/yr~290,000 m³/yrESTIMATED
Energy output equivalentWTE 47 MW (existing)~475 GWh-eq/yr (ACM outputs)+475 GWh-eqESTIMATED
SE County Landfill cell consumption rateIncreasing — 3%+/yr tonnage growthMaterially reduced for covered streamsReducedQualitative

§5.3 — PFAS Structural Delta

Federal EPA PFAS standards under Part 503 are tightening. In State A, biosolids continue to be composted or landfilled — routes that face increasing regulatory scrutiny as PFAS contamination limits tighten. In State B, ACM thermomechanical conversion destroys organic contaminants including PFAS compounds at processing temperatures. The PFAS regulatory trajectory is a structural liability that compounds in State A and is eliminated in State B for covered biosolids streams.

§5.4 — No-Fallback Analysis

The Hillsborough County Solid Waste Master Plan (horizon 2065) contains no greenfield landfill siting. The WTE is operating at or near permitted capacity. There is no competing infrastructure in permitting, no regional waste disposal alternative at comparable cost, and no capital committed to structural disposal capacity expansion beyond cell elevation at the existing landfill. State A is not a stable equilibrium — it is a cost escalation trajectory without a relief mechanism. The absence of a fallback is itself a structural condition that increases the opportunity cost of delay.

Risk and Sensitivity

§6.1 — Risk Register

#RiskKey DriverBears RiskMitigationResidual Exposure
1FWDC confirmation below TMC floorBlended FWDC is MODELED — verified at $95/tonHillsborough County (pricing perception)TMC floor of $100/ton is independent of FWDC; stream-specific rates support $110/ton primary comparisonLow — TMC below primary disposal rate from inception
2Technology performance shortfallACM throughput or output quality below CSA specificationCarbotura SPVPerformance guarantees in CSA; county payment tied to delivered volumeLow to county
3Construction delayPermitting, supply chain, or contractor riskCarbotura SPVDCBC pre-approved; Carbotura standard 24-month scheduleModerate — each quarter = ~$1.4M additional avoidable cost at Phase Initial
5Biosolids contract barrier (Phase Medium)Existing SE Landfill composting arrangementHillsborough CountyPhase Initial unaffected; biosolids negotiation runs parallel to CSA executionLow — Phase Initial executable without biosolids
6Pasco County CSA negotiation failurePhase Expanded requires Pasco County commercial CSACarbotura SPVPhase Expanded does not commence until Phase Medium operational; time buffer availableLow to county — Phase Expanded volume supplemented from other regional sources if needed
7Output market risk (ACM products)Graphite, graphene, mineral product markets may shiftCarbotura SPVCounty payment structure is independent of output pricing — SPV absorbs all product market riskZero to county
8CSA force majeure / hurricane disruptionTampa Bay is an active hurricane zoneSharedCSA force majeure provisions; DCBC inland location; county's existing emergency disposal protocols remain availableLow — both parties protected by standard force majeure
9Regulatory change (waste classification)Florida or federal reclassification of waste streamsShared / Carbotura SPVACM CSA is a commercial manufacturing supply agreement — regulatory changes to waste disposal frameworks have limited direct applicabilityLow
10PFAS regulatory accelerationTightening biosolids PFAS standards under federal Part 503Hillsborough County (State A risk)ACM destroys PFAS — State B eliminates this risk for covered streams; accelerated regulation is a State A cost risk, not a State B riskZero in State B; material and growing in State A

§6.2 — Feedstock Variability ±20%

ScenarioPhase Initial TPYYear 2 Annual Royalty
Base case146,000$17,520,000
Volume −20%116,800$14,016,000
Volume +20%175,200$21,024,000

Per-ton Circular Royalty™ rate exceeds per-ton Beneficiation Fee in Year 2 across all volume scenarios; both are reported as separate transactions. The county's fiscal flows are robust to feedstock variability because royalty scales proportionally with Beneficiation Fee volume.

§6.3 — FWDC Sensitivity — Sign-Change Threshold

The gross cost displacement is negative at the blended FWDC of $95/ton (TMC $100 > FWDC $95). The gross displacement turns positive (savings) when the verified blended FWDC exceeds $100/ton — a condition that is met by the primary processable MSW stream alone ($110/ton). The sign-change threshold for gross displacement is FWDC = $100/ton. If the verified blended FWDC exceeds $100/ton, the county saves on disposal cost from Year 1 in addition to receiving royalties from Year 2. The Year 2+ per-ton Circular Royalty™ rate ($120/ton) exceeds the per-ton Beneficiation Fee ($102.50/ton in Year 2) at all volume levels; both are reported as separate transactions and never netted.

§6.4 — Royalty Escalator Sensitivity

Escalator ScenarioYear 10 Royalty/tonYear 30 Royalty/ton
0 pp/yr (flat 120%)$120.00$120.00
+1 pp/yr (base case)$155.95$295.48
+2 pp/yr$193.40$379.86

Per-ton Circular Royalty™ rate exceeds per-ton Beneficiation Fee at Year 30 under all three escalator scenarios; both are reported as separate transactions. Even with zero escalation (flat 120% royalty), the per-ton royalty exceeds the per-ton fee throughout the term. All ESTIMATED.

§6.5 — Timeline Slippage

Delay ScenarioPhase Initial CODFirst RoyaltyAdditional pre-royalty cost (Phase Initial)
Base case (Q3 2026 auth)Q2 2028July 2029
1-quarter delay (Q4 2026 auth)Q3 2028Oct 2029~$1,460,000
2-quarter delay (Q1 2027 auth)Q4 2028Jan 2030~$2,920,000
4-quarter delay (Q3 2027 auth)Q2 2029July 2030~$5,840,000

Royalty figures are amounts received. The royalty is paid 13 months in arrears, so the figure shown for a year is earned on the previous year’s delivered tonnage.

Additional pre-royalty cost = quarters delayed × ~$1,460,000 (quarterly TMC at Phase Initial vs. avoidable State A cost). The authorization deadline is within the county's direct control.

Decision Window Analysis

§7.1 — Binding Constraints

Two binding constraints define the Q3 2026 authorization deadline: (1) the Carbotura standard 24-month construction schedule from T0, which sets Q2 2028 as the earliest achievable Phase Initial COD if T0 is Q2 2026; and (2) the DCBC site's pre-approved heavy industrial designation, which provides the fastest available permitting path. Any delay in authorization directly delays T0, which directly delays COD and shifts the first royalty payment.

§7.2 — Decision Window Table

ActionDeadlineResult if MetResult if Missed
CSA AuthorizationQ3 2026Phase Initial COD Q2 2028; first royalty July 2029Each quarter missed shifts COD and first royalty by equivalent quarter; ~$1.4M/quarter in avoidable cost accumulates
CSA negotiation and executionQ1–Q2 2027Construction start Q4 2026 maintainedConstruction start delayed; COD slips
Phase Medium initiationAutomatic — linked to Phase Initial COD + 18 monthsQ4 2029 Phase Medium opsDelayed proportionally

Irreversibility Mechanism

The irreversibility event in this engagement is the Southeast County Landfill cell capacity commitment. When the county authorizes the next cell expansion capital (the specific capital contract for additional airspace at 15960 County Rd. 672, Lithia), it locks the State A trajectory for the 8–12 year life of that cell. Capital committed to landfill capacity cannot be recovered and creates institutional momentum against a structural alternative. The earlier a CSA with Carbotura is executed, the more of this capital commitment can be avoided — reducing the sunk cost that would otherwise anchor the county in State A.

§7.4 — Optionality Matrix

OptionAvailable UntilWhat It PreservesCost of Waiting
Execute CSAQ2 2027Preserves Phase Initial timelineModerate — construction start delay risk
Defer to Phase Medium entryAvailable; timeline shifts to ~2030 CODReduces pre-royalty period; higher Phase Medium volumeHigh — all Phase Initial disposal cost avoidance and royalty forfeited
State A continuationAvailable alwaysNo new commitmentStructural escalation — landfill capital, 3%+/yr volume growth, zero royalty income

Effects Summary

No new figures in this section. All values trace to preceding sections.

§8.1 — Fiscal Obligations and Receipts

PeriodTransaction$/tonAnnual (Phase Initial)Annual (Phase Expanded)
Year 1 (pre-royalty)Beneficiation Fee paid−$100.00−$14,600,000−$73,000,000
Year 1 (pre-royalty)Circular Royalty™ received$0$0
Year 2 (royalty onset)Beneficiation Fee paid−$102.50−$14,965,000−$74,825,000
Year 2 (royalty onset)Circular Royalty™ received+$120.00+$17,520,000+$87,600,000
Year 10Beneficiation Fee paid−$124.89−$18,233,940−$91,169,700
Year 10Circular Royalty™ received+$155.95+$22,768,700+$113,843,500
Year 30 (steady state)Beneficiation Fee paid−$204.64−$29,877,440−$149,387,200
Year 30 (steady state)Circular Royalty™ received+$295.48+$43,140,080+$215,700,400
County capex (all phases)$0

Beneficiation Fee and Circular Royalty™ are independent transactions shown gross. Royalty payments begin 13 months after corresponding Beneficiation Fee payments. All ESTIMATED.

§8.2 — Regional Economic Effects

⚑ These are regional economic effects, not county fiscal receipts. They are not included in the fiscal flows above.

Phase Expanded at 2,000 TPD generates an estimated ~155 direct FTE positions, ~465 indirect jobs, and ~$92.5M/year in regional economic impact in the Tampa Bay area. These represent newly-created manufacturing employment — not displaced service jobs — and are concentrated in the Pasco County industrial corridor, a historically under-resourced area with a documented 30% poverty rate in parts of the DCBC service zone.

§8.3 — Environmental Effects

⚑ Designed-performance basis — subject to feedstock composition variability.

Phase Expanded designed performance: ~800,000 tonnes CO₂e avoided annually, ~730,000 TPY diverted from landfill, ~290,000 m³/year ultrapure water recovered, ~475 GWh-equivalent annual energy output. PFAS risk eliminated for all covered biosolids streams.

§8.4 — Structural Effects

State B replaces a cost-escalation trajectory with a revenue-generating one. The county's role shifts from a passive disposer of waste — paying escalating fees for a resource that has no return — to a manufacturing feedstock supplier receiving a Circular Royalty™ that grows annually for 30 years. The structural position of Hillsborough County in its waste management system changes from cost center to industrial partner.

§8.5 — Unresolved Data Gaps

Data GapImpact on AnalysisResolution Path
Confirmed blended FWDC (waste composition study not completed)Moderate — affects gross displacement sign; does not affect royalty receipt scheduleHillsborough County Waste Composition Study (2023 study available — detailed stream volumes would confirm FWDC)
Confirmed feedstock stream volumes (all ESTIMATED)Moderate — affects absolute dollar values; does not affect per-ton economicsCounterparty-supplied flow data and meter readings
Landfill cell expansion capital quantumModerate — represents avoided capital in State B; not yet quantifiedHillsborough County capital budget review (FY2026–2030)
Biosolids composting contract terms (Phase Medium)Low — Phase Initial unaffected; Phase Medium requires renegotiationHC Water Resources Department contract disclosure
Pasco County CSA commercial termsLow — Phase Expanded only; commercial standard termsPasco County preliminary engagement at CSA execution
Appendix A

Sources and Methodology

Figure / MethodSource / MethodologyType
FWDC $95/tonVolume-weighted blend: processable MSW $110/ton (VERIFIED, Hillsborough County Rate Resolution Oct 2024) + non-processable $58/ton (VERIFIED) + biosolids $30.89/ton (VERIFIED) + tires $211/ton (VERIFIED); volume weights ESTIMATEDMODELED
Phase sizing (400/800/2,000 TPD)User-specified capacity tiers; modules = ceil(TPD/100); annual TPY = TPD × 365; Proposal EIR Input BlockCarbotura standard + user-specified
Beneficiation Fee (TMC Fee) formulaMAX($100, MIN($150, FWDC−$5)); floor $100/ton; Carbotura standard parametersCarbotura standard
Royalty formulaRoyalty(m+13) = TMC(m) × Royalty_Rate(m); base 120%; +1pp/yr; Proposal EIR Input BlockCarbotura standard
Environmental performanceCarbotura standard parameters scaled to 2,000 TPD. Designed-performance basis — not operational actualsESTIMATED
Employment / economic impactCarbotura standard 400 TPD baseline parameters, scaled linearly by phase capacity; regional multipliers appliedESTIMATED
TimelineCarbotura standard deployment schedule: T0 = Q2 2026; Phase Initial COD = T0+24mo; First royalty = T0+37moESTIMATED
State A cost escalationConservative 2%/yr escalation applied to $95/ton FWDC; actual county-documented 3%/yr tonnage growth rate applied to volumesESTIMATED
Accounting standardUS GAAP — US jurisdiction per Registry §AFixed
Appendix B

Glossary Additions

Gross Cost Displacement
The change in Hillsborough County's disposal expenditure resulting from the Beneficiation Fee (TMC Fee) replacing the State A FWDC. At $100/ton TMC vs. $95/ton blended FWDC: −$5/ton in Year 1. Against primary processable rate of $110/ton: +$10/ton. Quantified separately from royalty cash flow.
Per-Ton Fiscal Flows
Beneficiation Fee paid and Circular Royalty™ received are reported as separate transactions, never netted. Year 1: Fee −$100/ton; Royalty $0 (pre-royalty). Year 2: Fee −$102.50/ton; Royalty +$120/ton. Year 30: Fee −$204.64/ton; Royalty +$295.48/ton. Does not include regional economic effects.
Pre-Royalty Period
Months 1–12 from start of feedstock delivery. County pays Beneficiation Fee (TMC Fee); receives $0 Circular Royalty™. Two independent transactions — the fee is paid; the royalty has not yet commenced. A planned contractual period, not a performance shortfall.
Royalty Ramp Period
Month 13 through approximately Month 24 after Phase Initial COD, during which rolling Circular Royalty™ payments commence and build to full run-rate on the initial 12-month feedstock base.
Steady-State Period
Year 2 onward. Both TMC Fee payments and Circular Royalty™ receipts are in full annual cycle. The Circular Royalty™ exceeds the Beneficiation Fee on a per-ton basis, with the spread compounding annually through the 30-year minimum CSA term.
Delta Model
The analytical structure of this EIR: quantifying only the difference between State A (current system) and State B (with Carbotura). No values are independently derived — all figures trace to the Waste Study, the locked Registry, or the Proposal EIR Input Block.
State A / State B
State A: Hillsborough County's current and projected waste management trajectory without ACM deployment. State B: the operational state following CSA execution and Phase Initial COD, as defined in the Proposal EIR Input Block.
US GAAP
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (United States) — the accounting standard applied to all financial figures in this document and in the SPV Finance page, consistent with Registry §A for a US jurisdiction.
Appendix C

Evidence Chain

FigureValuePublic SourceType
Processable MSW disposal rate$110.00/tonHillsborough County Solid Waste Rate Resolution, effective Oct 1, 2024 — hcfl.govVERIFIED
Non-processable disposal rate$58.00/tonSame resolutionVERIFIED
Biosolids composting rate$30.89/tonSame resolutionVERIFIED
Tire disposal rate$211.00/tonSame resolutionVERIFIED
Annual tonnage growth rate3%/year since 2015hcfl.gov — 2024 Solid Waste Assessment FAQVERIFIED
38% tonnage spike (2024)Single-year increaseDirector Damien Tramel statement — Bay News 9, May 2025VERIFIED
WTE capacity1,800 TPD permittedreworldwaste.com / hcfl.gov (2025)VERIFIED
SE County Landfill — 162 acres Class I162 acresSCS Engineers case study — scsengineers.comVERIFIED
P1 site — Dade City Business Center355 ac, CSX rail, Heavy Industrialdcbusinesscenter.com — March 2026VERIFIED
Beneficiation Fee (TMC Fee) Year 1$100/ton (formula floor)Proposal EIR Input Block — §3 formula resultESTIMATED
Royalty Year 2/ton$120.00Proposal EIR Input Block — 120% × $100ESTIMATED
Year 30 Beneficiation Fee/ton−$204.64$100/ton × 1.025^29 escalator from locked Proposal parametersESTIMATED
Year 30 Circular Royalty™/ton+$295.48148% × Year 30 Fee from locked Proposal parametersESTIMATED
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