🇺🇸 Carbotura ACM Executive Briefing · Maryland · Stage 1 of 7 · March 2026
Montgomery County, Maryland — ACM Partnership Briefing
A $192M waste budget under emergency stress. A $200–500M+ liability horizon. And a $2.14B, 30-year ACM pathway that costs the county zero capital and delivers a net-positive financial position from Year 2.
This document is produced by Carbotura Inc. as an intelligence and analysis resource. Stage 1 of 7. All financial projections are illustrative and produced by the interested party — not audited figures. This is not legal, financial, or professional advice. Corrections: media@carbotura.com
$192M
FY2026 Waste Budget (+37%)
+286%
Residential Charge Rise (2 yrs)
$49.5M
Annual Long-Haul Cost (post-WTE)
2
Dioxin Violations 2025–2026
$200–500M+
Decade Liability Exposure
$2.14B
Projected 30-Yr ACM Community Benefit
The Crisis — Status Quo
Why This Cannot Wait
- Dickerson RRF is in active MDE enforcement. Two dioxin violations in four months — Unit 3 at 83% over limit (November 2025) and Unit 2 at 226% over limit (February 2026). County Executive Elrich is targeting Reworld contract termination by July 2026. MDE 2025–2026; Bethesda Magazine
- The budget has already broken. FY2026 solid waste budget reached $192 million — a 37% surge from FY2024. The residential Systems Benefit Charge rose 286% in two years. Residents are already paying the cost of infrastructure failure. Montgomery County Budget FY2026
- The only viable alternative costs $49.5M/year and returns nothing. Long-haul out-of-county landfilling is the sole near-term option after Dickerson — at $43.9M for the first six months, rising to ~$49.5M/yr annualised. This is a floor; market consolidation creates upside risk. Montgomery County DEP 2025
- Closed-landfill liabilities are crystallising. Gude Landfill: $61.7M CIP. Oaks Landfill: $5.578M PFAS Phase 1 retrofit — with unquantified future federal PFAS exposure. Montgomery County CIP 2025
- Market consolidation is reducing leverage. WM acquired WB Waste Solutions in the DC area (May 2025); Casella acquired Gerber's (May 2025). The county is procuring long-haul capacity at the exact moment its negotiating position is weakest. Waste Dive 2025
The ACM Pathway — What Carbotura Proposes
Converting a Cost Spiral into a $2.14B Community Asset
Status Quo — Cost
$49.5M/yr
Long-haul landfill cost — sunk cost, escalating, zero return. Generates ongoing PFAS, EJ ash, and closed-landfill liabilities.
ACM Pathway — Net Position
Net positive yr 2
TMC Fee ($18.25M/yr at 500 TPD). Circular Royalty™ = 120% of TMC Fee from month 13. Savings on disposal from Day 1. $2.14B 30-yr community benefit (illustrative).
- $295M CAPEX — 100% Carbotura-financed. Zero county capital required. Montgomery County contributes manufacturing feedstock. Carbotura finances the entire facility.
- 500 TPD proposed capacity. Building shell sized for 1,000 TPD from Day 1. Expansion: $55M/module, 6-month notice, no new civil investment.
- 195 direct FTE positions at $110,000 average compensation. $21.45M annual payroll injection. Local hire first. Maryland New Jobs Tax Credit eligibility for all 195 positions.
- Circular Royalty™ = 120% of TMC Fee, beginning 13 months after first COD. From Year 2, the county receives more from Carbotura than it pays in TMC Fees. Net annual positive position from Year 2 onward.
- No combustion. No ash. No dioxin generation pathway. ACM uses electromagnetic energy in an anoxic environment. The Dickerson enforcement liability cannot recur at an ACM facility.
- I-270 Life Sciences corridor product synergy. 350+ biopharma companies within the county provide a captive regional market for Renewable Graphite, Renewable Refined Water (DI), and Advanced Carbon Products — a competitive advantage unique to this deployment site.
Financial Case — Illustrative 30-Year Summary
The Numbers at a Glance
$100/ton
TMC Fee opening rate
$733M
30-yr Circular Royalty™
$1.41B
30-yr avoided disposal savings
Year 2
Community crossover point
$4.5M+/yr
Projected annual tax revenue
Q1 2027
Projected first COD
Financial Disclaimer
All projections are illustrative — based on Carbotura's RevCon 3 conservative baseline model applied to Montgomery County public data. Not audited figures. Not contractual commitments. Actual outcomes established through formal engagement.
The Decision Window — July 2026
Why the Timeline Matters
🚨 Critical Path
County Executive Elrich's target for Reworld contract termination is July 2026. Carbotura's ACM facility has an 18-month build timeline from Letter of Intent. A LOI executed by Q2 2026 aligns precisely with a Q1 2027 first COD — matching the post-Dickerson transition window exactly. If the county proceeds to long-haul without an ACM agreement in principle, procurement lock-in extends the $49.5M/yr status quo cost trajectory by years.
- Stage 1 complete. EIR, Waste Intelligence Report, and this Partnership Proposal delivered to Montgomery County officials.
- Next step: Letter of Intent. Non-binding LOI establishes the framework for term sheet negotiations. No commitment, no capital outlay — just the opening of a formal dialogue.
- Maryland SB 901 EPR law creates a tailwind. Producer Responsibility Organisation formation begins FY2028 — the EPR financial relief and the ACM Circular Royalty combine to fundamentally restructure the county's waste finance position by 2030.
Ready to Open Dialogue?
Carbotura Inc. is seeking a Letter of Intent conversation with Montgomery County DEP/RRMD, County Executive's office, and the County Council T&E Committee. Stage 1 materials — this briefing, the full EIR, and the Waste Intelligence Report — are available at the Document Hub.