−Removed: Bion Environmental Technologies, Inc.'s ("Bion,"
+Added: Bion Environmental Technologies, Inc.
+Added: ("Bion,"
"Company,"
1 unchanged sentence
"Us,"
−Removed: or "Our") patented and proprietary technology provides comprehensive
−Removed: environmental solutions to one of the greatest water air and water quality problems in the U.S.
−Removed: pollution from large-scale
−Removed: livestock production facilities (also known as “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations”
−Removed: or ”CAFOs").
−Removed: Application of our technology and technology platform can simultaneously remediate environmental problems and improve operational/resource
−Removed: efficiencies by recovering value high-value co-products from the CAFOs’
−Removed: waste stream that has traditionally been wasted or
−Removed: underutilized, including renewable energy, nutrients (including ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus) and water.
−Removed: From 2016 to present,
−Removed: the Company has focused a large portion of its activities on developing, testing and demonstrating the 3rd generation of its technology
−Removed: and technology platform (“3G Tech”) with emphasis on increasing the efficiency of production of valuable by-products
−Removed: of its waste treatment including ammonia nitrogen in the form of organic ammonium bicarbonate products.
−Removed: The Company’s initial
−Removed: ammonium bicarbonate liquid product completed its Organic Materials Review Institute (“OMRI”) application and review
−Removed: process with approval during May 2020.
−Removed: (See discussion at “Organic Fertilizer products”
−Removed: The Company believes that, in addition to providing
−Removed: superior environmental remediation, its 3G Tech will create the opportunity for large scale production of sustainable and/or organic
−Removed: branded livestock products that will command premium pricing (in part due to ongoing monitoring and third party verification of
−Removed: environmental performance to provide meaningful assurances to both consumers and regulators).
−Removed: As co-products, our 3G Tech will
−Removed: produce valuable organic fertilizer products which can be:
−Removed: a) utilized in the production of organic grains for use as feed in support
−Removed: of joint venture Projects (“JVs”) raising organic livestock, and/or b) marketed to the growing organic fertilizer market.
−Removed: Our 3G Tech patented technology was developed to be part of a comprehensive technology platform that could generate multiple present
−Removed: and projected future revenue streams to offset the costs of technology adoption.
−Removed: Bion’s technology platform includes onsite
−Removed: monitoring and data collection as well as independent 3 rd party verified lab data confirming the environmental reduction
−Removed: The third party verified data regarding the environmental impact reductions will also be used to qualify the final consumer
−Removed: products (livestock protein—including meat, eggs and dairy products) for a US Department of Agriculture (“USDA”)
−Removed: “Environmentally Sustainable”
+Added: or "Our") was incorporated in 1987 in the State of Colorado.
+Added: Our patented and proprietary technology provides economically
+Added: sustainable comprehensive environmental solutions to one of the greatest water air and water quality problems in the U.S.
+Added: from large-scale livestock production facilities (also known as “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations”
+Added: or “CAFOs”).
+Added: Application of our technology and technology platform can simultaneously mitigate environmental problems and improve operational/resource
+Added: efficiencies by recovering high-value co-products from the CAFOs’
+Added: waste stream that have traditionally been wasted or underutilized,
+Added: including renewable energy, nutrients (including ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus) and water.
+Added: During the 2016 to 2021 fiscal years, the Company
+Added: focused a large portion of its activities on developing, testing and demonstrating the 3rd generation of its technology and technology
+Added: platform (“3G Tech”) with emphasis on increasing the efficiency of production of valuable co-products from the waste treatment
+Added: process, including ammonia nitrogen in the form of organic ammonium bicarbonate products.
+Added: The Company’s initial ammonium bicarbonate
+Added: liquid product completed its Organic Materials Review Institute (“OMRI”) application and review process with approval during
+Added: An application for our first solid ammonium bicarbonate product –
+Added: AD Nitrogen –
+Added: has been filed and is in the review
+Added: process (see discussion at “Organic Fertilizer products”
+Added: Bion is now focused primarily on:
+Added: i) development/construction
+Added: of its initial commercial-scale 3G Tech installation, ii) developing applications and markets for its organic fertilizer products and
+Added: its sustainable (conventional and organic) animal protein products, and iii) initiation and development of joint ventures (“JVs”
+Added: as discussed below) (and related projects) and strategic relationships based on the augmented capabilities of our 3G Tech, while (iv)
+Added: continuing to pursue business opportunities related to large retrofit projects (such as the Kreider poultry project JV described below)
+Added: and (vi) ongoing R&D activities.
The $175 billion U.S.
−Removed: livestock industry is
−Removed: under intense scrutiny for its environmental and public health impacts –
−Removed: its ‘environmental sustainability’--
−Removed: at the same time it is struggling with declining revenues and margins (derived in part from clinging to its historic practices
−Removed: and resulting impacts).
−Removed: Its failure to respond to consumer concerns ranging from food safety to its ‘socialized’
−Removed: environmental
−Removed: impacts have provided impetus for plant-based alternatives such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger providing “sustainable”
−Removed: alternatives to this growing consumer segment of the market.
−Removed: The plant-based threat to the livestock industry market (primarily
−Removed: beef and pork) has succeeded in focusing the large scale livestock production facilities (also known as “Concentrated Animal
−Removed: Feeding Operations”
−Removed: or “CAFOs") on how to meet the plant-based market challenge by addressing the consumer sustainability
−Removed: The adoption of livestock waste treatment technology by industry segments is largely dependent upon adoption generating
−Removed: sufficient revenues to offset the capital and operating costs associated with technology adoption.
−Removed: We believe that Bion’s 3G Tech platform,
−Removed: coupled with common-sense policy changes to U.S.
−Removed: clean water strategy that are already underway, will combine to provide a pathway
−Removed: to true economic and environmental sustainability with ‘win-win’
−Removed: benefits for at least a premium sector of the livestock
−Removed: industry, the environment, and the consumer.
−Removed: Bion’s business model and technology
−Removed: can open up the opportunity for JVs (in various contractual forms) between the Company and large livestock/food/fertilizer industry
−Removed: participants, based upon the supplemental cash flow generated by implementation our 3G Tech business model (described and discussed
−Removed: below) which will support the costs of technology implementation (including related debt).
−Removed: We anticipate this will result in long
−Removed: term value for Bion.
−Removed: Long term, Bion anticipates that the sustainable branding opportunity may expand to represent the single largest
−Removed: contributor to the economic opportunity provided by Bion.
−Removed: During 2018, the Company had its first patent
−Removed: issued on its 3G Tech and has continued its work to expand its patent coverage for our 3G Tech.
−Removed: In August 2020, the Company received
−Removed: a Notice of Allowance on its third patent which significantly expands the breadth and depth of the Company’s 3G Tech coverage.
−Removed: (See “Patents”
−Removed: The 3G Tech platform has been designed to maximize the value of co-products produced during
−Removed: the waste treatment/recovery processes, including pipeline-quality renewable natural gas and organic commercial fertilizer products.
−Removed: All processes will be verifiable by third-parties (including regulatory authorities, certifying boards and consumers) to comply
−Removed: with environmental regulations and trading programs and meet the requirements for:
−Removed: a) renewable energy credits, b) organic certification
−Removed: of the fertilizer coproducts and c) the USDA PVP ‘Environmentally Sustainable’
−Removed: branding program (See discussion below.)
−Removed: Bion anticipates moving forward with the development process of its initial commercial installations of its 3G technology during
−Removed: the 2021 (current) and 2022 fiscal years.
−Removed: In parallel, Bion has worked (which work continues)
−Removed: to advance public policy initiatives that will potentially create markets (in Pennsylvania and other states) that will utilize
−Removed: taxpayer funding for the purchase of verified pollution reductions from agriculture (“credits”) by the state (or others)
−Removed: through a competitively-bid procurement programs.
+Added: livestock industry is under
+Added: intense scrutiny for its environmental and public health impacts –
+Added: its ‘environmental sustainability’-- at the same
+Added: time it is struggling with declining revenues and margins (derived in part from clinging to its historic practices and resulting limitations
+Added: and impacts) which threaten its ‘economic sustainability’.
+Added: Its failure to adequately respond to consumer concerns ranging
+Added: including food safety, environmental impacts, and humane treatment of animals have provided impetus for plant-based alternatives such
+Added: as Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger (and many others) being marketed as “sustainable”
+Added: alternatives for this growing consumer
+Added: segment of the market.
+Added: The Company believes that its 3G Tech, in addition
+Added: to providing superior environmental remediation, creates opportunities for large scale production of:
+Added: i) verifiably sustainable-branded
+Added: livestock products and ii) verifiably sustainable organic-branded livestock products that will command premium pricing (in part due to
+Added: ongoing monitoring and third-party verification of environmental performance which will provide meaningful assurances to both consumers
+Added: and regulatory agencies).
+Added: Each of these two distinct market segments (which the Company intends to pursue in parallel) presents a large
+Added: production/marketing opportunity for Bion.
+Added: Our 3G Tech platform will also produce revenues from co-products:
+Added: i) pipeline quality biogas
+Added: (and related environmental credits) and ii) valuable organic fertilizer products, which can be utilized in the production of organic grains
+Added: for use as feed for raising organic livestock (some of which may be utilized in the Company’s JV projects) and/or marketed to the
+Added: growing organic fertilizer market.
+Added: During late September 2021, Bion entered into a lease
+Added: for the development site of its initial commercial scale 3G Tech project in September 2021(“Initial Project”), which Initial
+Added: Project will be located on approximately four (4) acres of leased land near Fair Oaks, Indiana.
+Added: Terms for an additional related agreement
+Added: regarding disposal of certain manure effluent have been agreed upon with the Curtis Creek Dairy unit of Fair Oaks Farms (“FOF”)
+Added: and the Company expects the agreement to be finalized by the end of the first full week of October 2021.
+Added: Design and pre-development work
+Added: commenced during August 2021 and preparation for active surveying, site engineering and other work is now underway.
+Added: The Initial Project
+Added: will be an environmentally sustainable beef cattle feeding facility, equipped with state-of-the-art housing and Bion’s 3G-Tech platform
+Added: to provide waste treatment and resource recovery.
+Added: Bion has designed the project to house and feed approximately 300 head of beef cattle.
+Added: The facility will include Bion’s 3G Tech platform including:
+Added: i) covered barns with solar photovoltaic generation, ii) anaerobic
+Added: digestion for renewable energy recovery;
+Added: iii) livestock waste treatment and resource recovery technology;
+Added: iv) Bion’s ammonium bicarbonate
+Added: recovery and crystallization technology and iv) data collection software to document system efficiencies and environmental benefits (with
+Added: the Bion 3G Tech facilities capable of treating the waste from approximately 1,500 head).
+Added: The facility will be large enough to demonstrate
+Added: engineering capabilities of Bion’s 3G Tech at commercial scale, but small enough that it can be constructed and commissioned quickly,
+Added: with operations targeted to commence sometime during the Spring of 2022.
+Added: This project is not being developed at economic commercial scale
+Added: or with an expectation of profitability due to its limited scale.
+Added: However, successful installation, commissioning, and operations will
+Added: demonstrate scalability, determine operating parameters at scale, and provide ongoing production and engineering capabilities, all being
+Added: critical steps that must be accomplished before developing large projects with JV partners.
+Added: Specifically, the Initial Project is being
+Added: developed to provide and/or accomplish the following:
+Added: Proof of 3G Tech platform scalability
+Added: - Document system efficiency and environmental
+Added: benefits and enable final engineering modifications to optimize each unit process within the Bion 3G technology platform.
+Added: - Environmental benefits will include (without
+Added: limitation) renewable energy production (natural gas recovery from AD and solar electric from integrated roof top photovoltaic generation);
+Added: nutrient recovery and conversion to stable organic fertilizer;
+Added: pathogen destruction;
+Added: water recovery and reuse;
+Added: air emission reductions.
+Added: Use Bion’s data collection system to support 3 rd party verified system efficiency requirement to qualify for USDA
+Added: Process-Verified-Program (PVP):
+Added: certification of sustainable branded beef (and potentially pork) product metrics.
+Added: Produce sufficient ammonium bicarbonate nitrogen fertilizer (“AD Nitrogen”) for commercial testing by potential joint
+Added: venture partners and/or purchasers and for university growth trials.
+Added: Produce sustainable beef products for initial test marketing efforts.
+Added: Upon achieving optimized and steady-state operations
+Added: at the Initial Project during 2022, coupled with obtaining an OMRI listing for its AD Nitrogen product, Bion expects to be ready to move
+Added: forward with its plans for development of much larger facilities.
+Added: The Company anticipates that discussions and negotiations regarding
+Added: potential JVs with strategic partners in the financial and livestock industries to develop large scale projects will commence during the
+Added: construction of the Initial Project.
+Added: Additionally, the Company believes there will also be opportunities to proceed with selected ‘retrofit
+Added: projects’
+Added: of existing facilities (see ‘Retrofit 3G Tech Project:
+Added: Kreider Poultry JV below as an example).
+Added: Bion intends to move forward on its one of its primary
+Added: commercial goals:
+Added: establishing JV’s for large scale projects that will produce both sustainable and sustainable-organic corn-fed
+Added: The products will be supported by a USDA PVP-certified sustainable brand that will, initially, highlight reductions in carbon and
+Added: nutrient footprint, as well as pathogen reductions associated with foodborne illness and antibiotic resistance, along with the organic
+Added: designation where appropriate.
+Added: Bion has successfully navigated the USDA PVP application process previously, having received conditional
+Added: approval of its 2G Tech platform, pending resubmission and final site audits, and is confident it will be successful in qualifying its
+Added: 3G Tech platform.
+Added: Bion believes that
+Added: substantial unmet demand currently exists–
+Added: potentially very large –
+Added: for ‘real’
+Added: meat/ dairy/ egg products that
+Added: offer the verifiable/believable sustainability consumers seek, but with the taste and texture they have come to expect from American beef
+Added: and pork, dairy and poultry.
+Added: Numerous studies demonstrate the U.S.
+Added: consumers’
+Added: preferences for sustainability.
+Added: For example, a 2019
+Added: NYU Stern’s Center for Sustainable Business study (https://hbr.org/2019/06/research-actually-consumers-do-buy-sustainable-products )
+Added: concluded that ‘products marketed as sustainable
+Added: grew 5.6 times faster than those that were not…’
+Added: and that ‘…in more than 90 percent of consumer-packaged-goods
+Added: (CPG) categories, sustainability-marketed products grew faster than their conventional counterparts.’
+Added: Sales growth of plant-based
+Added: alternatives, including both dairy and more recently ground meat (Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, et al) have shown that a certain segment
+Added: of consumers are choosing seemingly sustainable offering, and are also willing to pay a premium for it.
+Added: Numerous studies also support
+Added: the consumers’
+Added: ‘willingness-to-pay’
+Added: (WTP) for sustainable choices, including a recent meta-analysis of 80 worldwide
+Added: studies with results that calculate the overall WTP premium for sustainability is 29.5 percent on average (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S019566632100146X
+Added: As one of the largest contributors to some of the
+Added: greatest air and water quality problems in America, it is clear that livestock waste cleanup, at scale, represents one of the greatest
+Added: opportunities we have to reduce negative environmental impacts of the food supply chain on air and water quality.
+Added: Bion’s 3G Tech
+Added: platform, along with its business model, enables the cleanup of the ‘dirtiest’
+Added: part of the food supply chain:
+Added: animal protein
+Added: production and creates the opportunity to produce and market verifiably sustainable organic and conventional ‘real meat’
+Added: that can participate in the growth and premium pricing that appears to be readily available for the ‘right’
+Added: Bion believes the at least a premium segment of the
+Added: US beef industry (and potentially other livestock industry groups) is at the doorstep of a transformative opportunity to address the growing
+Added: demand for sustainable food product offerings, while pushing back against today’s anti-meat messaging.
+Added: At $66 billion/year (2021
+Added: retail value), the beef industry is a fragmented, commodity industry whose practices date back decades.
+Added: In 1935 inflation-adjusted terms,
+Added: beef is 63% more expensive today, while pork and chicken, which are now primarily raised in covered barns, at CAFOs with highly integrated
+Added: supply chains, are 12% and 62% cheaper, respectively.
+Added: In recent years, the beef industry has come under increasing fire from advocacy
+Added: groups, regulatory agencies, institutional investors, and ultimately, their own consumers, over concerns that include climate change,
+Added: water pollution, food safety, and the treatment of animals and workers.
+Added: Advocacy groups targeting livestock and the beef industry
+Added: have recently been joined by competitors that produce animal protein alternatives in seeking to exploit the industry’s environmental
+Added: and economic weaknesses.
+Added: Their global anti-meat messaging has had a substantial chilling effect on the relationships the beef industry
+Added: has with its institutional investors;
+Added: retail distributors, such as fast-food restaurants;
+Added: and mostly, its consumers.
+Added: Led by the United
+Added: Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, a coordinated anti-meat messaging campaign has targeted consumers worldwide, primarily focused
+Added: on the industry’s impacts on climate change.
+Added: Meat alternatives, especially plant-based protein producers like Beyond Meat and Impossible
+Added: Foods, are being heavily promoted by themselves and the media, and have enjoyed steady sales growth.
+Added: A 2018 NielsenIQ Homescan survey
+Added: last year found that 39% of Americans are actively trying to eat more plant-based foods.
+Added: Some of the recent growth in plant-based proteins
+Added: results from increasing lactose intolerance and other health concerns;
+Added: however, most of that growth is attributed to consumers’
+Added: growing concerns for the environmental impacts of real meat and dairy.
+Added: Several large US companies that have traditionally focused on livestock
+Added: production, including Cargill, ADM, Perdue Foods, and Tyson, have recently entered the plant protein space.
+Added: In terms of changing customer
+Added: preferences, ‘saving the planet’
+Added: has proven to be a more compelling argument than the traditional animal activism/ welfare
+Added: To date, the only ‘industry response’
+Added: to this has been grass-fed beef, which is regarded as a generally more sustainable
+Added: offering than grain-fed.
+Added: However grass-fed beef has had only limited acceptance in U.S.
+Added: markets, because it is less flavorful and tougher
+Added: than the traditional corn-fed beef consumers have grown to enjoy.
+Added: It should be noted that these plant-based protein
+Added: producers are primarily expected to be able to serve the ground/ processed meat market, which represents only about 10 percent of the
+Added: overall animal protein market.
+Added: Further, there has recently been pushback to these plant-based products, focusing on their highly processed
+Added: nature and unproven health benefits, scalability/ pricing, and their uncertain carbon footprint.
+Added: There have also been several companies
+Added: recently enter the cellular and 3D-printed meat arena.
+Added: While facing myriad challenges and further out on the development timeline, some
+Added: people believe cellular agriculture (aka cultured, clean, lab-grown, cultivated) meat may have the potential to service a much larger
+Added: percentage of the market than plant-based protein, including cuts like steaks, chops and roasts, but the likely cost remains very uncertain
+Added: at this point.
+Added: Each of these items supports Bion’s belief that
+Added: there is a potentially very large opportunity to supply premium sustainable beef products that satisfy these concerns.
+Added: We believe that
+Added: the real meat/beef products that can be cost-effectively produced today using our 3G Tech platform, both sustainable and/or organic, can
+Added: provide an affordable product that satisfies the consumer’s desire for sustainability, but with the superior taste and texture those
+Added: consumers have grown to prefer.
+Added: Sustainable Beef
+Added: Bion’s goal is to be first to market with meaningfully
+Added: sustainable, and verified, beef products that can be produced at sufficient scale to service national market demand.
+Added: The cattle produced
+Added: at a Bion facility will enjoy a substantially lower carbon footprint, dramatically reduced nutrient impacts to water, and an almost total
+Added: pathogen kill in the waste stream.
+Added: A Bion sustainable beef facility will be comprised of covered barns with slotted floors, which allow
+Added: the waste to pass through and be collected quickly and frequently to reduce ammonia volatilization and loss, as well as odors.
+Added: barns will reduce weather impacts on the livestock and have been demonstrated to promote improved general health and weight gain in the
+Added: cattle housed in them.
+Added: The barns represent a very large roof surface area, which will be utilized in appropriate geographical locations
+Added: for the installation of solar generation systems to produce electricity for the facility, as well as export to the grid.
+Added: Waste treatment
+Added: and resource recovery will be provided by Bion’s advanced 3G Tech platform, which Bion believes offers the most comprehensive solution
+Added: for livestock waste available today.
+Added: In addition to direct environmental benefits (described in more detail in Part I, Item 1 “Business”)
+Added: every pound of nitrogen that is captured, upcycled, and returned to the agricultural nitrogen cycle as high-quality fertilizer (vs lost
+Added: to contaminate downstream waters), is also a pound of nitrogen that will not have to be produced as synthetic urea or anhydrous ammonia,
+Added: with their tremendous carbon cost.
+Added: System performance and environmental benefits will be monitored and verified through third parties,
+Added: with USDA PVP certification of the sustainable brand that Bion also believes will be the most comprehensive available in the market.
+Added: Sustainable Organic Beef
+Added: Bion believes it has a unique opportunity to produce,
+Added: at scale, affordable corn-fed organic beef that is certified as sustainable.
+Added: In addition to the sustainable practices described above,
+Added: organic-sourced beef cows would be finished on organic corn, which would be produced using the ammonium bicarbonate fertilizer captured
+Added: by the 3G Tech platform.
+Added: Bion believes its meat products will meet consumer demands with respect to sustainability and safety (organic)
+Added: and provide the tenderness and taste American consumers have come to expect from premium conventional American beef.
+Added: Such products are
+Added: largely unavailable in the market today.
+Added: We believe Bion’s unique ability to produce the fertilizer needed to grow a supply of low-cost
+Added: organic corn, and the resulting opportunity to produce organic beef, will dramatically differentiate us from potential competitors.
+Added: organic opportunity is dependent on successfully establishing Bion’s fertilizer products as acceptable for use in organic grain
+Added: Today, organic beef demand is limited and mostly supplied
+Added: with grass-fed cattle.
+Added: While organic ground/ chopped meat has enjoyed success in U.S.
+Added: markets, grass-fed steaks have seen limited acceptance,
+Added: mostly resulting from consumer issues with taste and texture.
+Added: In other words, it’s tough.
+Added: Regardless, such steaks sell for a significant
+Added: premium over conventional beef.
+Added: A corn-finished organic beef product is largely unavailable in the marketplace today due to the higher
+Added: costs of producing organic corn.
+Added: The exception is offerings that are very expensive from small ‘boutique’
+Added: beef producers.
+Added: Like all plants, corn requires nitrogen to grow.
+Added: Corn is especially sensitive to a late-season application of readily available nitrogen
+Added: the key to maximizing yields.
+Added: With non-organic field corn, this nitrogen is supplied by an application of a low-cost synthetic
+Added: fertilizer, such as urea or anhydrous ammonia.
+Added: However, the cost for suitable nitrogen fertilizer that can be applied late-season in organic
+Added: corn production is so high that the late-season application becomes uneconomical, resulting in substantially lower yields –
+Added: recognized phenomena known as the ‘yield gap’
+Added: in organic production.
+Added: The yield gap results in higher costs for organic corn
+Added: that, in turn, make it uneconomical to feed that corn to livestock.
+Added: As is the case for sustainable but not organic beef, Bion believes
+Added: there is a potentially large unmet demand for affordable beef products that are both sustainable AND organic, but with the taste and texture
+Added: consumers have come to expect from American beef.
+Added: Bion’s ability to produce the low-cost nitrogen fertilizer that can close the
+Added: organic yield (and affordability) gap puts the company in a unique, if not exclusive at this time, position to participate in JV’s
+Added: that will benefit from this opportunity starting next year.
+Added: The demonstrated willingness of consumers to purchase
+Added: sustainable products (along with numerous research and marketing studies confirming consumers are seeking, and are willing to pay a premium
+Added: for, sustainable products)---in combination with the threat to the livestock industry market (primarily beef and pork) posed by plant-based
+Added: alternatives (heightened by pandemic conditions)--- has succeeded in focusing the large scale livestock industry on how to meet the plant-based
+Added: market challenge by addressing the consumer sustainability issues.
+Added: The consumer demand for sustainability appears to be a real and lasting
+Added: trend, but consumers remain skeptical of generalized claims of ‘sustainability’.
+Added: To date, a large portion of the industry
+Added: responses have been at a superficial level or consist of ‘green washing’, a deceptive marketing practice where companies promote
+Added: non-substantive initiatives.
+Added: Real sustainability for the livestock industry will require implementation of advanced waste treatment technology
+Added: at or near the livestock production facilities (“Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations”
+Added: or “CAFOs”) –
+Added: most of the negative environmental impacts take place.
+Added: Technology Deployment:
+Added: Widespread deployment of waste treatment technology,
+Added: and the sustainability it enables, is largely dependent upon generating sufficient additional revenues to offset the capital and operating
+Added: costs associated with technology adoption.
+Added: Bion’s 3G Tech has been developed to create opportunities for such augmented revenue
+Added: streams, while providing third party verification of sustainability claims.
+Added: The 3G Tech platform has been designed to maximize the value
+Added: of co-products produced during the waste treatment/recovery processes, including pipeline-quality renewable natural gas (biogas) and commercial
+Added: fertilizer products approved for organic production.
+Added: All processes will be verifiable by third parties (including regulatory authorities
+Added: and certifying boards) to comply with environmental regulations and trading programs and meet the requirements for:
+Added: a) renewable energy
+Added: and carbon credits, b) organic certification of the fertilizer coproducts and c) USDA PVP certification of an ‘Environmentally Sustainable’
+Added: brand (see discussion below), and d) payment for verified ecosystem services.
+Added: The Company’s first patent on its 3G Tech was issued
+Added: In August 2020, the Company received a Notice of Allowance on its third patent which significantly expands the breadth and
+Added: depth of the Company’s 3G Tech coverage, and the Company has additional applications pending and/or planned (See “Patents”).
+Added: Bion’s business model and technology platform
+Added: can create the opportunity for JVs (in various contractual forms) between the Company and large livestock/food/fertilizer industry participants,
+Added: based upon the supplemental cash flow generated by implementation of our 3G Tech business model, which will support the costs of technology
+Added: implementation (including related debt).
+Added: We anticipate this will result in long term value for Bion.
+Added: In the context of such JVs, we believe
+Added: that the verifiable sustainable branding opportunities (conventional and organic) may expand to represent the single largest enhanced
+Added: revenue contributor provided by Bion to the JVs (and Bion licensees).
+Added: The Company believes that the largest portion of its business with
+Added: be conducted through such JVs, but a material portion may involve licensing and or other approaches.
+Added: In parallel with technology development, Bion has
+Added: worked (which work continues) to implement market-driven strategies designed to stimulate private-sector participation in the overall
+Added: nutrient and carbon reduction strategy.
+Added: These market-driven strategies can generate “payment for ecosystem services”,
+Added: in which farmers or landowners are rewarded for managing their land and operations to provide environmental benefits, that will generate
+Added: additional revenues.
+Added: Existing renewable energy credits for the production and use of biogas are an example of payment for ecosystem services.
+Added: Another such strategy is nutrient trading (or water quality trading), which will potentially create markets (in Pennsylvania and other
+Added: states) that will utilize taxpayer funding for the purchase of verified pollution reductions from agriculture (“nutrient credits”)
+Added: by the state (or others) through competitively-bid procurement programs.
Such credits can then be used as a ‘qualified offset’
−Removed: by an individual
−Removed: state (or municipality) to meet its federal clean water mandates at significantly lower cost to the taxpayer.
−Removed: Competitive procurement
−Removed: of verified credits is now supported by US EPA, the Chesapeake Bay Commission, national livestock interests, and other key stakeholders.
−Removed: Legislation in Pennsylvania to establish the first such state competitive procurement program passed the Pennsylvania Senate by
−Removed: a bi-partisan majority during March 2019.
−Removed: However, the Covid-19 pandemic and related financial/budgetary crises have subsequently
−Removed: slowed progress for this and other policy initiatives and, as a result, it is not currently possible to project the timeline for
−Removed: this and other similar initiatives (see discussion below).
−Removed: The livestock industry is under tremendous
−Removed: pressure (from regulatory agencies, a wide range of advocacy groups, institutional investors and the industry’s own consumers)
−Removed: to adopt sustainable practices.
−Removed: Environmental cleanup is inevitable - policies are already changing.
−Removed: Bion’s 3G technology
−Removed: was developed for implementation on large scale livestock production facilities, where scale drives lower treatment costs and efficient
−Removed: production of co-products.
−Removed: We believe that scale, coupled with Bion’s verifiable treatment technology platform, will create
−Removed: a transformational opportunity to integrate clean production practices at (or close to) the point of production—the source
−Removed: from which most of the industry’s environmental impacts are initiated.
−Removed: Bion intends to assist the forward-looking segment
−Removed: of the livestock industry in actually bringing animal protein production in line with Twenty-first Century consumer demands for
−Removed: sustainability.
−Removed: The Problem/Opportunity
−Removed: (according to the USDA’s
−Removed: 2017 agricultural census) there are over 9M dairy cows, 90M beef cattle, 60M swine and more than 2 billion poultry which provides
−Removed: an indication of both the scope of the problem addressed by Bion’s technology, as well as the size of the opportunity.
−Removed: Environmental
−Removed: impacts from livestock production include surface and groundwater pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution,
−Removed: excess water use and pathogens related to foodborne illnesses and antibiotic resistance.
−Removed: The greatest impacts come from the manure
−Removed: Estimates of total annual U.S.
−Removed: livestock manure waste vary widely, but start around a billion tons, between 100 and 130
−Removed: times greater than human waste.
−Removed: However, while human waste is generally treated by septic or municipal wastewater plants, livestock
−Removed: waste –
+Added: by an individual state (or municipality) to meet its federal clean water mandates at significantly lower cost to the taxpayer.
+Added: Market-driven
+Added: strategies, including competitive procurement of verified credits, is supported by US EPA, the Chesapeake Bay Commission, national livestock
+Added: interests, and other key stakeholders.
+Added: Legislation in PA to establish the first such state competitive procurement program passed the
+Added: Pennsylvania Senate by a bi-partisan majority during March 2019.
+Added: However, the Covid-19 pandemic and related financial/budgetary crises
+Added: have slowed progress for this and other policy initiatives and, as a result, it is not currently possible to project the timeline for
+Added: completion (or meaningful progress) of this and other similar initiatives (see discussion below).
+Added: The livestock industry and its markets are already
+Added: with a commercial-ready technology and business model, Bion believes it has a ‘first-mover advantage’
+Added: that will seek to exploit the opportunities that will arise from the industry’s inevitable transformation.
+Added: Bion anticipates moving
+Added: forward with the development process of its initial commercial installations utilizing its 3G Tech, during the current 2022 fiscal year.
+Added: We believe that Bion’s 3G Tech platform and business model can provide a pathway to true economic and environmental sustainability
+Added: with ‘win-win’
+Added: benefits for at least a premium sector of the livestock industry, the environment, and the consumer, an opportunity
+Added: which the Company intends to pursue.
+Added: The Livestock Problem
+Added: The livestock industry is under tremendous pressure
+Added: from regulatory agencies, a wide range of advocacy groups, institutional investors and the industry’s own consumers all of whom
+Added: a pushing the industry to adopt sustainable practices.
+Added: Environmental cleanup is inevitable and has already begun - and policies have already
+Added: begun to change.
+Added: Bion’s 3G Tech was developed for implementation on large scale livestock production facilities, where scale can
+Added: drive both lower treatment costs and efficient co-products production, while producing dramatic environmental improvements.
+Added: that scale, coupled with Bion’s verifiable treatment technology platform, will create a transformational opportunity to integrate
+Added: clean production practices at (or close to) the point of livestock production—the primary source of the industry’s environmental
+Added: Bion intends to assist the forward-looking segment of the livestock industry to bring animal protein production in line with
+Added: 21st Century consumer demands for meaningful, verifiable and believable sustainability.
+Added: (according to the USDA’s 2017 agricultural
+Added: census) there are over 9M dairy cows, 90M beef cattle, 60M swine and more than 2 billion poultry which provides an indication of both
+Added: the scope of the problem, as well as the size of the opportunity that can be addressed by Bion’s technology.
+Added: Environmental impacts
+Added: from livestock production include surface- and groundwater pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, ammonia, and other air pollution, excess
+Added: water use, and pathogens related to foodborne illnesses and antibiotic resistance.
+Added: While the most visible and immediate problems are related
+Added: to nutrient runoff and its effects on water quality, the industry has recently been targeted by various stakeholder groups for its impacts
+Added: on climate change.
+Added: The greatest impacts come from the manure waste.
+Added: of total annual U.S.
+Added: livestock manure waste vary widely, but start around a billion tons, between 100 and 130 times greater than human
+Added: However, while human waste is generally treated by septic or municipal wastewater plants, livestock waste –
raw manure –
is spread on our nation’s croplands for its fertilizer value.
−Removed: More than half of U.S.
−Removed: production is fertilized in this manner.
−Removed: Runoff from livestock waste has been identified as one of the largest sources of excess
−Removed: nutrients in most major watersheds.
−Removed: Excess nutrients fuel algae blooms nationwide that are increasingly toxic;
−Removed: dead zones in the
−Removed: Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, and Gulf of Mexico;
−Removed: and nitrate-contaminated drinking water in a growing number of states including
−Removed: Pennsylvania, California, Wisconsin, Washington and other states.
+Added: Large portions of U.S.
+Added: feed crop production (and most organic crop
+Added: production) is fertilized, in part, in this manner.
+Added: Under current manure management practices, 80% or more of total nitrogen is lost from
+Added: manure during storage, transportation, and after soil application.
+Added: Runoff from livestock waste has been identified as one of the largest
+Added: sources of excess nutrients in most major watersheds.
+Added: Excess nutrients fuel algae blooms nationwide that are increasingly toxic and fuel
+Added: dead zones in the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, and Gulf of Mexico.
+Added: Nitrate-contaminated drinking water is a problem in a growing number
+Added: of states including Pennsylvania, California, Wisconsin, Washington and others.
US EPA considers excess nutrients “one of America’s
2 unchanged sentences
and increasing rainstorm intensity resulting from climate change.
−Removed: More than half of the nitrogen nutrient impacts
−Removed: from livestock come from ammonia emissions from the waste.
−Removed: Nitrogen in the form of ammonia is extremely volatile, reactive and
−Removed: When airborne ammonia/ nitrogen eventually settles back to the ground through atmospheric deposition - it ‘rains’
−Removed: Most of this nitrogen enters surface and groundwater.
−Removed: In the context of groundwater aquifers, it can contaminate drinking
−Removed: water sources.
−Removed: It is now well-established that most of the voluntary conservation practices (often referred to as “BMPs”
−Removed: or “Best Management Practices”) that have traditionally been implemented to attempt to mitigate nutrient runoff are
−Removed: considerably less effective than previously was believed to be the case.
−Removed: This is especially the case with regard to addressing
−Removed: mobile ammonia emissions because such BMPs are primarily focused on surface water runoff, directly from farm fields in current
−Removed: production, versus the re-deposition that takes place everywhere.
−Removed: Further, groundwater (vs surface water) transports
−Removed: this volatile nitrogen downstream, creating an additional problem, since most of the current conservation practices relied on to
−Removed: reduce agricultural runoff to our lakes and estuaries are bypassed by this subsurface flow.
−Removed: Nitrate-contaminated groundwater is
−Removed: of growing concern in agricultural regions nationwide.
−Removed: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, California and Washington, (and other states) all
−Removed: now have regions where groundwater nitrate levels exceed EPA standards for safe drinking water.
−Removed: Additionally, in arid climates,
−Removed: such as California, airborne ammonia emissions from livestock manure contribute to air pollution as a precursor to PM2.5 formation,
−Removed: small inhalable particulate matter that is a regulated air pollutant with significant public health risks.
−Removed: Whether airborne or
−Removed: dissolved in water, ammonia can only be cost-effectively controlled and treated at the source-- before it has a chance to escape
−Removed: into the environment where it becomes extremely expensive to ‘chase’
−Removed: Nutrients from livestock waste runoff fuel
−Removed: downstream toxic algae blooms and dead zones in the Chesapeake Bay,Gulf of Mexico, Florida Bay, and many other estuaries, as well
−Removed: as the Great Lakes,.
−Removed: Excess nutrient runoff also impacts local- and fresh-water resources, producing algae blooms in lakes and
−Removed: rivers and contaminating underground aquifers that supply drinking water.
+Added: More than half of the nitrogen impacts from livestock
+Added: waste come from airborne ammonia emissions, which are extremely volatile, reactive and mobile.
+Added: Airborne ammonia nitrogen eventually settles
+Added: back to the ground through atmospheric deposition - it ‘rains’
+Added: While some of this nitrogen is captured and used
+Added: by plants, most of it runs off and enters surface waters or percolates down to groundwater.
+Added: It is now well-established that most of the
+Added: voluntary conservation practices, such as vegetated buffers that ‘filter’
+Added: runoff (often referred to as “BMPs”
+Added: or “Best Management Practices”
+Added: that have traditionally been implemented to attempt to mitigate nutrient runoff), are considerably
+Added: less effective than was previously believed to be the case.
+Added: This is especially true with regard to addressing the volatile and mobile
+Added: nitrogen from ammonia emissions, because BMPs are primarily focused on surface water runoff, directly from farm fields in current production,
+Added: versus the re-deposition that takes place everywhere or groundwater flow.
+Added: Runoff from livestock waste has been identified in
+Added: most of our major watersheds as a primary source of excess nutrients that fuel algae blooms in both fresh- and saltwater.
+Added: Over the last
+Added: decade, algae blooms have become increasingly toxic to both humans and animals, such as the Red Tides on the Florida and California coasts,
+Added: and the Lake Erie algae bloom that cut off the water supply to Toledo, Ohio, residents in 2014.
+Added: When the nutrient runoff subsides, it
+Added: leaves the algae blooms with no more ‘food’
+Added: and the blooms die.
+Added: The algae’s decomposition takes oxygen from the water,
+Added: leading to ‘dead zones’
+Added: in local ponds, lakes, and ultimately, the Great Lakes, as well as the Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico,
+Added: and other estuary waters.
+Added: Both the toxic algae blooms and the low/no-oxygen dead zones devastate marine life, from shrimp and fish to
+Added: higher mammals, including dolphins and manatees.
+Added: US EPA already considers excess nutrients “one of America’s most widespread,
+Added: costly and challenging environmental problems”.
+Added: Nutrient runoff is expected to worsen dramatically in the coming decades due to
+Added: rising temperatures and increasing rainstorm intensity as a result of climate change.
+Added: Nitrate-contaminated groundwater is of growing concern
+Added: in agricultural regions nationwide, where it has been directly correlated with nutrient runoff from upstream agricultural operations using
+Added: raw manure as fertilizer.
+Added: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, California and Washington, and others, now have regions where groundwater nitrate levels
+Added: exceed EPA standards for safe drinking water.
+Added: High levels of nitrate can cause blue baby syndrome (methemoglobinemia) in infants and affect
+Added: women who are or may become pregnant, and it has been linked to thyroid disease and colon cancer.
+Added: EPA has set an enforceable standard
+Added: called a maximum contaminant level (MCL) in water for nitrates at 10 parts per million (ppm) (10 mg/L) and for nitrites at 1 ppm (1 mg/L).
+Added: Federal regulations require expensive pretreatment for community water sources that exceed the MCL;
+Added: however, private drinking water
+Added: wells are not regulated, and it is the owners’
+Added: responsibility to test and treat their wells.
+Added: Additionally, groundwater flows also
+Added: transport this volatile nitrogen downstream where, along its way, it intermixes with surface water, further exacerbating the runoff problem.
+Added: Like atmospheric deposition, the current conservation practices we rely on to reduce agricultural runoff are largely bypassed by this
+Added: subsurface flow.
+Added: Additionally, in arid climates, such as California,
+Added: airborne ammonia emissions from livestock manure contribute to air pollution as a precursor to PM2.5 formation, small inhalable particulate
+Added: matter that is a regulated air pollutant with significant public health risks.
+Added: Whether airborne or dissolved in water, ammonia can only
+Added: be cost-effectively controlled and treated at the source-- before it has a chance to escape into the environment where it becomes extremely
+Added: expensive to ‘chase’, capture and treat.
+Added: High phosphorus concentrations in soils fertilized
+Added: with raw manure are another growing problem.
+Added: The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus in livestock waste is fixed, and because manure application
+Added: rates are calculated based on nitrogen requirements, often phosphorus is over-applied as an unintended consequence.
+Added: Phosphorus accumulation
+Added: in agricultural soils reduces its productivity, increases the risk of phosphorus runoff, and represents a waste of a finite resource.
+Added: Decoupling the nitrogen from the phosphorus would allow them to be precision-applied, independently of each other, when and where needed.
The impacts of livestock production on public health
−Removed: and the environment are coming under increasing scrutiny from environmental groups and health organizations, regulatory agencies
+Added: and the environment are coming under increasing scrutiny from environmental groups and health organizations, regulatory agencies and the
+Added: courts, the media, consumers and activist institutional investors.
+Added: The livestock industry has recently come under heavy fire for its impacts
+Added: on climate change, which has become a rallying cry for the anti-meat campaign discussed above.
+Added: Estimates of the magnitude of those impacts
+Added: vary widely, but the general consensus is that globally, livestock account for 14.5 percent of greenhouse emissions.
+Added: that number drops to 4.2 percent, due to the increased efficiencies of American beef production.
+Added: The greatest impacts come from direct
+Added: emissions of methane from enteric fermentation (belches), methane and nitrous oxide emissions from the manure, with arguably the largest
+Added: being the massive carbon footprint of the synthetic nitrogen fertilizers used to grow the grains to feed the livestock.
+Added: For decades the livestock industry has overlooked
+Added: and/or socialized its environmental problems and costs.
+Added: Today, the impacts of livestock production on public health and the environment
+Added: can no longer be ignored and are coming under increasing scrutiny from environmental groups and health organizations, regulatory agencies
and the courts, the media, consumers, and activist institutional investors.
−Removed: Bion's 3G Tech prevents the uncontrolled release
−Removed: to the environment of most of the nutrients from the CAFO waste stream, while recovering a substantial portion of those nutrients
−Removed: for value-added commercial utilization.
−Removed: Our technology platform largely eliminates ammonia emissions, other substantial greenhouse
−Removed: gas emissions, odors and other harmful air pollutants.
−Removed: Additionally, the platform destroys virtually all pathogens in the waste
−Removed: stream that have been linked to foodborne illnesses and growing antibiotic resistance.
−Removed: Similar to point-source treatment, such
−Removed: as provided by an industrial or municipal wastewater treatment plants, the performance of Bion’s technology platform can
−Removed: be precisely monitored, measured and quantified (in contrast to the modeled, in-exact - and so far, disappointing - results from
−Removed: Third-party data from our facilities can provide the basis for verified environmental credits, and related revenues, as
−Removed: well as sustainable branding claims.
−Removed: Bion’s proven second generation technology
−Removed: (“2G Tech”) platform (now discontinued as our 3G Tech nears commercial implementation) was developed to provide comprehensive
−Removed: onsite livestock waste treatment for wet (beef/dairy/swine) waste streams and has been proven at commercial scale at Kreider
−Removed: Dairy Farm (“Kreider 1”) in Pennsylvania (“PA”).
−Removed: In 2012, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
−Removed: Protection (“PADEP”) issued the Kreider 1 system a full water quality management permit and verified the nitrogen and
−Removed: phosphorus reductions achieved by our 2G Tech.
−Removed: These ‘verified nutrient credits’
−Removed: were qualified to be used as qualified
−Removed: offsets to PA’s federally-mandated Chesapeake Bay nutrient reduction requirements.
−Removed: In 2014 the 2G Tech was reviewed and qualified
−Removed: for federal loan guarantees under USDA’s Technical Assessment program.
−Removed: The Company anticipates that our 3G Tech will be similarly
−Removed: qualified and will produce results that exceed the results provided by our 2G Tech.
−Removed: Bion is working with several stakeholders, including national representatives
−Removed: of the livestock industry, and members of the PA Legislature, and various other stakeholders, to establish a competitive bidding
−Removed: program in PA and other states that will, if implemented allow the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to purchase low-cost nutrient reduction
−Removed: credits from private-sector providers such as Bion.
−Removed: Bion believes that many states, which face similar livestock waste-related
−Removed: nutrient pollution issues, will adopt a similar strategy in the future.
−Removed: When competitively-bid markets for nutrient reductions
−Removed: become fully-established, Bion anticipates a robust opportunity to use its 3G Tech-based platforms to retrofit both existing CAFOs
−Removed: and equip new large-scale livestock facilities (“Projects”) to generate revenue from sales of verified nutrient reduction
−Removed: Once Bion has been successful in certifying its fertilizer co-products for organic use (with resulting higher-value markets),
−Removed: we believe that revenue from organic co-products alone, together with renewable energy credit revenues and the potential value
−Removed: of environmental sustainable branding, will combine to create numerous profitable economically and environmentally sustainable
−Removed: opportunities for our Projects and related JVs, even without the nutrient credits upon which Bion’s 2G Tech business model
−Removed: Policy Change is Coming
−Removed: The current clean water strategy being
−Removed: utilized in the U.S.
−Removed: is clearly failing, because it doesn’t adequately address waste from agriculture.
−Removed: About half of U.S.
−Removed: crops are now fertilized with raw, untreated manure.
−Removed: However, approximately 75 percent of the nitrogen in that manure is not utilized
−Removed: by the plants being fertilized but rather ‘escapes’
−Removed: to contaminate the environment through various pathways and.
−Removed: livestock waste is one of the largest contributors to nutrient problems in our watersheds, livestock waste treatment can be the
−Removed: source of the low-cost solution for such problems –
−Removed: if the waste is treated at (or close to) the source of production.
−Removed: control technologies, applied to large scale facilities where concentration and scale enable cost-effective cleanup, can potentially
−Removed: offer the lowest cost nutrient solutions available in most watersheds today.
−Removed: More than 80 percent of U.S.
−Removed: livestock production
−Removed: takes place on large-scale facilities, where cost-effective treatment can be implemented.
−Removed: There is no longer any real question
−Removed: regarding whether such facilities need to be cleaned up.
−Removed: The actual question for public policy concerns developing sources of new
−Removed: revenues which will enable the livestock industry to offset the implementation costs for the cleanup.
−Removed: Despite trends toward concentration over
−Removed: the last several decades, the U.S.
−Removed: animal-protein industry remains (in key parts) a fragmented, low-margin commodity business.
−Removed: Cleaning it up will have to be orderly and contain a path to sustainability that does not cause U.S.
−Removed: food costs to spike or bankrupt
−Removed: the industry.
−Removed: This will require treatment sufficient to remove the volume of nutrients in excess of crop requirements.
−Removed: export market represents a significant part of the U.S.
−Removed: livestock production industry.
−Removed: An abrupt increase in federal regulation
−Removed: without offsetting revenues would likely create costs that could not be absorbed by the industry in a manner that would allow it
−Removed: to remain competitive in international markets.
−Removed: Selective state regulation would have a similar chilling effect within the U.S.,
−Removed: since regulated producers in one state would be unable to compete with unregulated producers in adjoining states.
−Removed: Subsidies and/or
−Removed: new revenue sources are required.
−Removed: Bion believes that reallocating some part of
−Removed: the approximately $110 billion in existing U.S.
−Removed: taxpayer-funded clean water spending to lower-cost alternative solutions in
−Removed: agriculture (including competitively-bid nutrient reduction procurement) is inevitable.
−Removed: It will provide the taxpayer with accelerated
−Removed: and substantially lower-cost verified air and water quality solutions compared to current strategy.
−Removed: If Bion’s technology is implemented in appropriate situations, it will provide the livestock industry with the recurring
−Removed: revenues that are needed to offset the costs of technology adoption without major disruption to the industry.
−Removed: To date, a wide range
−Removed: of entrenched interests have opposed and fought policy change that might reallocate clean water spending to more cost-effective
−Removed: alternatives;
−Removed: but this common-sense approach is being accepted by a widening group of stakeholders.
−Removed: NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT THE CURRENT COVID-19
−Removed: PANDEMIC AND RESULTANT ECONOMIC CRISES AND BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS APPEAR TO HAVE DELAYED POLICY INITIATIVES RELATED TO THESE MATTERS
−Removed: AT BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS.
−Removed: AS A RESULT, IT IS NOT CURRENTLY POSSIBLE TO REASONABLY PROJECT A TIMETABLE FOR ADOPTION
−Removed: OF THE POLICY CHANGES DISCUSSED HEREIN.
−Removed: A bipartisan 2013 Pennsylvania legislative study projected
−Removed: that creating a competitive bidding program to procure nitrogen reductions to meet federal Chesapeake Bay mandates, regardless
−Removed: of source , could reduce the state’s tax- and ratepayer-funded compliance costs by up to 80 percent (approximately
−Removed: $1.5B annually).
−Removed: The legislative study was updated in 2018 to reflect new policies.
−Removed: The updated report projects savings of up to
−Removed: As discussed in the original study, much of the savings were due to low-cost high-impact manure control projects (Bion’s
−Removed: technology figured prominently in the report).
−Removed: Senate Bill 575, which is supported by legislative leadership, national livestock
−Removed: interests and other key stakeholders (and is consistent with US EPA policies), will establish a competitive procurement program
−Removed: that will unlock some of these opportunities in PA.
−Removed: In June 2019, the Pennsylvania Senate voted 33 to 17 in favor of Senate Bill
−Removed: The bill is now pending in the House.
−Removed: Bion was optimistic that the bill would be adopted by the House and signed by the Governor
−Removed: in the current session as the bill was scheduled to be taken up in the House during March 2020 but one effect of the Covid-19 pandemic
−Removed: crisis has been that PA funding for new initiatives is largely ‘on hold’
−Removed: at the present time.
−Removed: In a 2017 Letter of Expectation to
−Removed: PA’s Department of Environmental Protection, US EPA demonstrated its support of a procurement strategy to engage the private
−Removed: sector - as long as the Credits are verified.
−Removed: It is noteworthy that US EPA and national livestock industry representatives agree
−Removed: on this strategy.
−Removed: Such a procurement strategy is also consistent with USDA and EPA support of ‘Private Partnerships’
−Removed: and OMB’s guidance that supports acquiring verified results vs.
−Removed: financing projects with uncertain outcomes and taxpayer risks.
−Removed: We believe that strategies being developed in Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay are likely to serve as a model for the 40 other
−Removed: states now seeking solutions to similar water quality problems.
−Removed: Today, most states face a similar issue---unfunded federal clean
−Removed: water mandates.
−Removed: Pennsylvania’s proposed competitive bidding program provides an opportunity to significantly reduce the cost
−Removed: to PA (and a model for other states to utilize in the future) in meeting such mandates.
+Added: The result has been a significant and alarming loss of market
+Added: share to plant-based protein and other alternative products.
+Added: Bion’s 3G Tech platform was designed to resolve these environmental
+Added: issues and bring the industry in line with twenty-first century consumer expectations.
Technology and Technology Platform
−Removed: We have invested years of work and substantial
−Removed: capital on the development of our technology and technology platform since 1989.
−Removed: Bion’s patented second generation
−Removed: technology (“2G Tech”) was proven at commercial scale and it was reviewed and qualified for federal loan guarantees
+Added: Bion has invested years of work and substantial capital
+Added: on the development of our technology and technology platform since 1989.
+Added: The predecessor to Bion’s 3G Tech platform, our patented
+Added: second-generation technology (“2G Tech”), was proven at commercial scale and was reviewed and qualified for federal loan guarantees
under USDA’s Technical Assessment program.
−Removed: Bion’s 2G Tech Kreider dairy project (“Kreider 1”
−Removed: or “KF1”)
−Removed: received the first verified /measurable nutrient reduction credits from a non-point source livestock facility in the U.S.
−Removed: nutrient reductions were verified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) during 2012.
−Removed: key attribute of Bion’s 2G Tech (now supplanted by our 3G Tech) was that nutrient and other pollution reductions could be
−Removed: measured, providing a level of verification on par with a municipal wastewater treatment plant -- which created the opportunity
−Removed: for their nutrient reductions to be used as “qualified offsets”
+Added: Bion’s 2G Tech dairy project (“Kreider 1”
+Added: or “KF1”), located
+Added: at Kreider Farms in Pennsylvania (“PA”) received the first verified /measurable nutrient reduction credits from a non-point
+Added: source livestock facility in the U.S.
+Added: and its nutrient reductions were verified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
+Added: (“DEP”) during 2012.
+Added: A key attribute of Bion’s 2G Tech (now supplanted
+Added: by our 3G Tech) was that nutrient and other pollution reductions could be measured, providing a level of verification on par with a
+Added: municipal wastewater treatment plant, which created the opportunity for the nutrient reductions to be used as “qualified offsets”
to EPA-mandated requirements.
−Removed: While it was an engineering
−Removed: success, Kreider 1 has failed financially to date because the 2G Tech platform was almost wholly dependent for revenue from anticipated
−Removed: demand for Credits based on nitrogen reductions in Pennsylvania’s trading program that failed to materialize.
−Removed: is no longer implementing Projects based on its 2G Tech and the Kreider 1 project has been shut down.
−Removed: Our 3G Tech was developed by Bion to avoid
−Removed: the dependence of our 2G Tech systems on the sale of Credits.
−Removed: The 3G Tech platform has been designed to capture revenues from environmental
−Removed: reductions, co-products and premium pricing from USDA ‘environmentally sustainable’
−Removed: retail branding.
−Removed: The first patent
−Removed: on the 3G Tech was filed in 2015 for an ammonia recovery process that produces ammonium bicarbonate (a commercial fertilizer) without
−Removed: external chemical additives, thereby providing the basis for organic certification.
−Removed: A Notice of Allowance from the US Patent and
−Removed: Trademark Office (“USPTO”) was received during August 2018 related to this patent application and the patent was subsequently
−Removed: Since July 2017 Bion has filed for extensions of this patent application to provide broadened protections and to cover
−Removed: improvements to the process developed in the interim.
−Removed: During August 2020 the Company received a Notice of Allowance’
−Removed: our third patent related to our 3G Tech.
−Removed: (See “Patents”
−Removed: below.) The 3G Tech platform incorporates Bion’s patented
−Removed: and proprietary technology while utilizing existing commercial evaporation and distillation process equipment (with decades of
−Removed: reliability and service history) that is customized for Bion’s specific applications.
−Removed: The 3G Tech platform is the basis for a
−Removed: JV business model with four distinct revenue streams :
−Removed: 1) pipeline quality renewable natural gas and related carbon credits,
−Removed: 2) premium organic fertilizer products, 3) nutrient credits, and 4) premium pricing from USDA-certified ‘Environmentally
−Removed: Sustainable’
+Added: While it was an engineering success, Kreider 1 has failed financially because the 2G Tech platform was almost
+Added: wholly dependent for revenue from anticipated demand for nutrient credits, based on PA’s mandated nitrogen reductions under the
+Added: Chesapeake Bay Strategy and their proposed nutrient trading program that failed to materialize.
+Added: Bion began development of its 3G Tech
+Added: platform when it became apparent there was significant opposition to the trading program (and private sector participation in clean water
+Added: activities, generally) from entrenched clean water interests.
+Added: The Company is no longer implementing Projects based on its 2G Tech and
+Added: the Kreider 1 project has been shut down.
+Added: Bion’s 3G Tech was developed to avoid the dependence
+Added: of our 2G Tech systems on the sale of water quality trading credits in order to develop profitable projects.
+Added: The 3G Tech platform has
+Added: been designed to maximize revenues from co-products, including biogas and fertilizer products, achieve premium pricing from USDA PVP-certified
+Added: ‘environmentally sustainable’
+Added: retail branding of the animal protein products it supports, as well as generate verified credits
+Added: for still-developing water quality trading programs.
+Added: The first patent on the 3G Tech was filed in 2015 for an ammonia recovery process
+Added: that produces ammonium bicarbonate (a commercial fertilizer) without external chemical additives, thereby providing the basis for organic
+Added: certification.
+Added: A Notice of Allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) was received during August 2018 related
+Added: to this patent application and the patent was subsequently issued.
+Added: Since July 2017 Bion has filed for extensions of this patent application
+Added: to provide broadened protections and to cover improvements to the process developed in the interim.
+Added: During August 2020 the Company received
+Added: a Notice of Allowance’
+Added: for our third patent related to our 3G Tech and additional related applications are pending and/or planned
+Added: (See “Patents”.) The 3G Tech platform incorporates Bion’s patented and proprietary technology while utilizing existing
+Added: commercial evaporation and distillation process equipment (with decades of reliability and service history) that is customized for Bion’s
+Added: specific applications.
+Added: The 3G Tech platform is the basis for a JV business
+Added: model with four distinct revenue streams :
+Added: 1) pipeline quality renewable natural gas and related carbon and other environmental credits,
+Added: 2) premium organic fertilizer products, 3) nutrient credits, and 4) premium pricing from USDA PVP-certified ‘Environmentally Sustainable’
branding at the retail level.
−Removed: Carbon and nutrient credit revenues will be generated by third-party verification
−Removed: of the waste treatment processes that produce renewable energy and fertilizer products - with relatively limited incremental cost
−Removed: The same verified data will provide the backbone for the USDA-certified sustainable brand, again with limited incremental
−Removed: 1) Renewable energy and related carbon credits:
−Removed: Bion’s 3G Tech platform
−Removed: utilizes customized anaerobic digestion (“AD”) to recover methane from the waste stream.
−Removed: At sufficient scale, methane
−Removed: produced from AD can be cost-effectively conditioned, compressed and injected into a pipeline.
+Added: Carbon and nutrient credit revenues will be supported by third-party verification of the waste treatment
+Added: processes that simultaneously capture methane and nutrients, while producing renewable energy and fertilizer products from them with relatively
+Added: limited incremental cost to Bion.
+Added: The same verified data will also provide the backbone for the USDA PVP-certified sustainable brand,
+Added: again with limited incremental cost.
+Added: 1) Renewable energy- and carbon-related credits:
+Added: Bion’s 3G Tech platform utilizes
+Added: customized anaerobic digestion (“AD”) to recover biogas (methane) from the waste stream.
+Added: At sufficient scale, methane produced
+Added: from AD can be cost-effectively conditioned, compressed and injected into a pipeline.
The US Renewable Fuel Standard (“RFS”)
−Removed: program and state programs in California and elsewhere provide ongoing renewable energy credits for the production and use of renewable
−Removed: transportation fuels.
+Added: program and state programs in California and elsewhere provide ongoing renewable energy credits for the production of biogas and its subsequent
+Added: use as a renewable transportation fuel.
+Added: Additional renewable energy-related credit programs are being developed that Bion believes will
+Added: impact these revenues, including a Carbon Intensity (CI) score that measures the amount of carbon produced per unit of energy produced.
2) Organic Fertilizer products:
−Removed: The 3G Tech platform has been designed
−Removed: to produce multiple fertilizer products including:
−Removed: i) ammonia bicarbonate liquid, ii) ammonium bicarbonate in solid crystal form
−Removed: and iii) a soil amendment products that will contain the remaining nitrogen, phosphorus and other micronutrients captured from
−Removed: the livestock waste stream.
−Removed: Bion believes each product will qualify for organic certification and intends to file multiple applications
−Removed: for varying concentrations of crystal product going forward.
−Removed: Ammonium bicarbonate manufactured
−Removed: using chemical processes has a long history of use as a fertilizer.
−Removed: Bion’s intends to develop ammonium bicarbonate crystal
−Removed: products which will contain 14-16 percent nitrogen in a crystalline form that will be easily transported, water soluble and provide
−Removed: readily-available nitrogen.
−Removed: The products will contain virtually none of the other salt, iron and mineral constituents of the livestock
−Removed: waste stream that often accompany other organic fertilizers.
−Removed: This product is being developed to fertilizer industry standards so
−Removed: that it that can be precision-applied to crops using existing equipment.
−Removed: Bion believes that this product will potentially have
−Removed: broad applications in the production of organic grains for livestock feed, row crops, horticulture, greenhouse and hydroponic production,
−Removed: and potentially retail lawn and garden products.
+Added: The 3G Tech platform has been designed to
+Added: produce multiple fertilizer products, including:
+Added: i) ammonium bicarbonate liquid, ii) ammonium bicarbonate in solid crystal form –
+Added: AD Nitrogen –
+Added: and iii) soil amendment products that will contain the remaining nitrogen, phosphorus and other micronutrients captured
+Added: from the livestock waste stream.
+Added: Bion believes each product will qualify for organic certification.
+Added: The Company has filed an application
+Added: the initial version of its crystal product which is in the review process.
+Added: Additional applications may be filed in subsequent periods.
+Added: Ammonium bicarbonate, manufactured using
+Added: chemical processes, has a long history of use as a fertilizer.
+Added: Bion’s has developed solid ammonium bicarbonate products containing
+Added: 18-22 percent nitrogen in a crystalline form that is easily transported, is water soluble and provides a readily available nitrogen source
+Added: The products will contain virtually none of the other salt, iron and mineral constituents of the livestock waste stream that
+Added: often accompany other organic fertilizers.
+Added: This product is being developed to fertilizer industry standards so that it that can be precision-applied
+Added: to crops using existing equipment.
+Added: Bion believes that this product will potentially have broad applications in the production of organic
+Added: grains for livestock feed, row crops, horticulture, greenhouse and hydroponic production, and potentially retail lawn and garden products.
+Added: The AD Nitrogen and other ammonium bicarbonate
+Added: products produced by Bion’s 3G Tech platform will enjoy a dramatically lower carbon footprint than synthetic fertilizers.
+Added: nitrogen captured and upcycled into AD Nitrogen was going to be lost through volatilization and runoff, and that loss would generally
+Added: need to be offset with a synthetic nitrogen, such as anhydrous ammonia or urea.
+Added: These synthetic nitrogen products are produced through
+Added: the Haber-Bosch (and other) synthetic processes, which converts hydrogen and atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, with methane as the energy
+Added: It is an extremely energy-intensive process with a carbon footprint that , while not yet fully understood, is widely accepted
+Added: to by very large.
+Added: While a complete Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of carbon impacts from synthetic fertilizer production is not available,
+Added: according to the Institute for Industrial Productivity, its production alone is responsible for approximately 1 percent of total global
+Added: CO2 emissions.
+Added: To the extent that Bion can capture and repurpose the nitrogen traditionally lost from livestock waste, that carbon cost
+Added: will no longer need to be paid
The Company’s initial low concentration
ammonium bicarbonate liquid product completed its OMRI application and review process with approval during May 2020.
−Removed: To provide a first level degree of clarity regarding
−Removed: organic approvals and the processes/procedures involved, Bion believes that this initial approval is of importance because subsequent
−Removed: organic products that are produced by using the very same technology platform (our 3G Tech) can now piggyback on the initial approval
−Removed: to a significant degree.
+Added: Bion’s second
+Added: application to OMRI, for its initial solid AD Nitrogen product, was filed during May 2021and is currently being reviewed.
+Added: To provide a first level degree of clarity
+Added: regarding organic approvals and the processes/procedures involved, Bion believes that the initial OMRI approval is of importance, because
+Added: subsequent organic products that are produced by using the very same technology platform (our 3G Tech) can now piggyback on the initial
+Added: approval to a significant degree.
Note that there are different layers to the U.S.
4 unchanged sentences
was established by Congress in 2001 under the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
−Removed: The NOP develops and enforces uniform
−Removed: national standards for organically- produced agricultural end products –
+Added: The NOP develops and enforces uniform national
+Added: standards for organically- produced agricultural end products –
meat/dairy/milk, fruits, vegetables –
−Removed: sold in the United States.
−Removed: Operating as a public-private partnership, NOP accredits private companies and helps train their inspectors
−Removed: (USDA-accredited Certifiers) to certify that farms and businesses meet the national organic standards.
−Removed: For example, in a potential
−Removed: Midwest organic beef project (discussed below), each element in the supply chain must provide their certifying agent’s certification
−Removed: that the specific product, such as organic corn, has been produced in accordance with their organic plan.
−Removed: The end product - the
−Removed: beef - would be USDA-certified as organic by an accredited Certifier after a review of ALL the farming practices and inputs (which
−Removed: would include Bion’s ammonium bicarbonate fertilizer).
−Removed: OMRI is a nonprofit organization that provides
−Removed: an independent review of products, such as fertilizers, pest controls, livestock health care products, and numerous other inputs
+Added: sold in the United
+Added: Operating as a public-private partnership, NOP accredits private companies and helps train their inspectors (USDA-accredited Certifiers)
+Added: to certify that farms and businesses meet the national organic standards.
+Added: For example, in a potential Midwest organic beef project (discussed
+Added: below), each element in the supply chain must provide their certifying agent’s certification that the specific product, such as
+Added: organic corn, has been produced in accordance with their organic plan.
+Added: The end product - the beef - would be USDA-certified as organic
+Added: by an accredited Certifier after a review of ALL the farming practices and inputs (which would include Bion’s ammonium bicarbonate
+Added: OMRI is a nonprofit organization that
+Added: provides an independent review of products, such as fertilizers, pest controls, livestock health care products, and numerous other inputs
that are intended for use in certified organic production and processing.
−Removed: OMRI reviews these products against the organic standards
−Removed: established by the NOP to determine if they are suitable for use in organic production.
+Added: OMRI reviews these products against the organic standards established
+Added: by the NOP to determine if they are suitable for use in organic production.
Acceptable products are then OMRI Listed®.
−Removed: OMRI enables a national listing thru one application
−Removed: versus the alternative of using certifiers to secure listings in individual states.
−Removed: To those who wish to sell organic fertilizers
−Removed: into national distribution channels, an OMRI listing provides nearly uniform acceptance in the U.S.
−Removed: The OMRI listing Bion received
−Removed: in May was for our initial commercial product, a low-concentration liquid ammonia.
+Added: OMRI enables a national listing thru
+Added: one application versus the alternative of using certifiers to secure listings in individual states.
+Added: To those who wish to sell organic
+Added: fertilizers into national distribution channels, an OMRI listing provides nearly uniform acceptance in the U.S.
+Added: The OMRI listing Bion
+Added: received in May was for our initial commercial product, a low-concentration liquid ammonia.
It is valid ONLY for that particular product.
−Removed: For future Bion product offerings using the same technology platform, Bion will either need to file for specific state approval,
−Removed: or file with OMRI for a national listing, or a combination of the two.
−Removed: Bion may elect to use an individual state listing initially
−Removed: to be followed by an OMRI application if and when the need for a regional or national listing arises.
−Removed: The overarching standard of organic production,
−Removed: per NOP guidelines, is that a “product shall have been produced and handled without the use of synthetic chemicals…”
+Added: For future Bion product offerings using the same technology platform, Bion will either need to file for specific state approval, or file
+Added: with OMRI for a national listing, or a combination of the two.
+Added: Bion may elect to use an individual state listing initially to be followed
+Added: by an OMRI application if and when the need for a regional or national listing arises.
+Added: The overarching standard of organic
+Added: production, per NOP guidelines, is that a “product shall have been produced and handled without the use of synthetic chemicals…”
That is rule Number One.
At NOP, the term "synthetic"
−Removed: means “a substance that is formulated or manufactured by
−Removed: a chemical process or by a process that chemically changes a substance extracted from naturally occurring plant, animal, or mineral
−Removed: sources, except that such term shall not apply to substances created by naturally occurring biological processes.”
−Removed: In evaluating
−Removed: and approving Bion’s liquid ammonia for OMRI listing, Bion’s patented ammonia recovery system was not deemed synthetic.
−Removed: That is an important distinction for future Bion product filings based upon the same patented process.
−Removed: The Company believes that
−Removed: organic approvals for its products:
−Removed: a) will provide access to substantially higher value markets compared to synthetic nitrogen
−Removed: products, and/or b) allow its products to be utilized in growing of organic feed grains to be consumed by livestock raised in
−Removed: JVs which will thereafter receive organic approvals.
−Removed: Based on preliminary market surveys to date:
−Removed: a) we believe that existing
−Removed: competing organic fertilizer products in both liquid and granular form are being sold presently at price points significantly
−Removed: greater than Bion’s projected cost and projected pricing, and b) that livestock products (beef and pork) raised with feed
−Removed: grains grown using Bion organic ammonium carbonate fertilizer products (during the ‘finishing’
−Removed: stage) will qualify
−Removed: for organic approvals.
−Removed: It is anticipated that the Company will seek approvals for such products during the balance of the current
−Removed: fiscal year and will commence JVs that undertake initial production and marketing of such products during the 2021 calendar year.
+Added: means “a substance that is formulated or manufactured by a chemical
+Added: process or by a process that chemically changes a substance extracted from naturally occurring plant, animal, or mineral sources, except
+Added: that such term shall not apply to substances created by naturally occurring biological processes.”
+Added: In evaluating and approving Bion’s
+Added: liquid ammonia for OMRI listing, Bion’s patented ammonia recovery system was not deemed synthetic.
+Added: That is an important distinction
+Added: for future Bion product filings based upon the same patented process.
+Added: The Company believes that organic approvals
+Added: for its products will:
+Added: a) provide access to substantially higher value markets compared to synthetic nitrogen products, and/or b) allow
+Added: its products to be utilized in growing of organic feed grains to be consumed by livestock raised in JVs which will be sold as organic.
+Added: Based on preliminary market surveys to date, we believe that existing competing organic fertilizer products in both liquid and granular
+Added: form are being sold presently at price points significantly greater than Bion’s projected cost and projected pricing.
+Added: We also believe
+Added: that livestock products from animals raised with feed grains grown using Bion organic ammonium bicarbonate fertilizer products (and that
+Added: otherwise qualify) will receive organic approvals.
+Added: It is anticipated that the Company will continue to seek approvals for such products
+Added: during the balance of the current fiscal year and will commence JVs that undertake initial production and marketing of such products during
+Added: the 2022 calendar year.
3) Nutrient credits:
−Removed: Bion believed that passage in Pennsylvania
−Removed: of legislation earlier this year that would establish a competitively-bid market for nutrient reduction Credits in Pennsylvania.
−Removed: The bill will most likely need to be re-introduced in the Senate 2021—2022 session commencing in January 2021.
−Removed: Bion anticipates
−Removed: that passage of SB575 (or re-introduced bill) in Pennsylvania will establish a competitively-bid market for nutrient reduction
−Removed: Credits in Pennsylvania within twelve months after passage and being signed into law by the Governor.
−Removed: Note, however, that the current
−Removed: Covid-19 pandemic and resultant economic crises and budgetary constraints have delayed policy initiatives related to these matters
−Removed: at both the state and federal levels.
−Removed: As a result, it is not currently possible to reasonably project a timetable for adoption
−Removed: of the policy changes discussed herein.
−Removed: Bion’s Kreider Farms poultry
−Removed: project (“Kreider 2”) is projected to generate between 1.5-3M lbs of Chesapeake Bay (“CB”
−Removed: or “Bay”)
−Removed: verified nitrogen reduction Credits (the range depends on the specific calculation methodology agreed to between the EPA and the
−Removed: Pennsylvania DEP).
−Removed: Bion anticipates the market value for these verified credits will be in the range of $8 to $12 per pound annually.
−Removed: The focus of the latest PA regulatory watershed improvement plan (“WIP”) has shifted the reduction mandates to individual
−Removed: Lancaster County, PA is being asked to reduce 21% of the mandate (approximately 11M lbs of nitrogen) to the Bay.
−Removed: result, the Kreider 2 project in Lancaster County may expand to include a regional processing opportunity in addition to the Kreider
−Removed: 2 base project.
−Removed: Bion believes that initial funding of such competitive bidding program will allow Bion and others to demonstrate
−Removed: the technological effectiveness and cost savings of manure control technologies, which should result in the re-allocation of a
−Removed: portion of the existing approximately $110B in taxpayer clean water funding to be re-directed to nutrient procurement programs
+Added: Bion believes that nutrient reduction (and
+Added: other similar) credits and/or other methods of monetizing environmental benefits from the capture and re-purposing of the nutrients (largely
+Added: nitrogen and phosphorus) from the livestock waste stream, will become available in multiple states over the next several years.
+Added: in the Pennsylvania (“PA”) Senate of key legislation –
+Added: SB 575 –
+Added: in June 2019 that would have established a competitively-bid
+Added: market for nutrient credits in PA, is indicative of the trends.
+Added: Despite the fact that the bill was not considered in the House, due to
+Added: the Covid-19 pandemic (a re-introduced bill will have to be considered again in the current and/or future sessions (currently SB 475 and
+Added: SB 832 have been introduced and are pending), Bion anticipates that after passage of a similar bill in the future, PA will establish a
+Added: competitively-bid market for nutrient credits within twelve months after legislative passage and being signed into law by the Governor.
+Added: See “Policy Change is Coming”
+Added: and “Kreider Poultry Joint Venture and Pennsylvania and Chesapeake Bay Initiatives”
+Added: below for discussion of the history and status of matters in PA.
+Added: Note, however, that the current Covid-19
+Added: pandemic and resultant social and economic crises and budgetary constraints have delayed policy initiatives related to these matters at
+Added: both the state and federal levels.
+Added: As a result, it is not currently possible to reasonably project a timetable for adoption of the policy
+Added: changes discussed herein.
4) Sustainable Branding:
1 unchanged sentence
to pay a premium for their safe and sustainable food choices.
−Removed: in 2015, Bion has worked with the USDA’s Process Verified Program (“PVP”) –
−Removed: the gold standard in food verification
−Removed: and branding –
−Removed: to establish a USDA-certified sustainable brand.
−Removed: Bion received conditional approval from the PVP”)
−Removed: related to its Kreider 1 project (utilizing 2G Tech).
−Removed: It is our intention to amend and resubmit its application for the 3G Tech
−Removed: platform when the initial 3G Tech Project is operational and seek an approval for certification based on third-party-verified reductions
−Removed: in nutrient impacts, greenhouse gases and pathogens in the waste stream based on our 3G Tech.
−Removed: PVP certification incorporated as
−Removed: part of a recognizable brand will provide consumers with products and brands that can be trusted.
−Removed: Bion projects that such a brand
−Removed: and livestock product line will command a pricing premium for Bion livestock JVs and their customers.
−Removed: Food safety and sustainability
−Removed: are issues of growing importance in the U.S.
+Added: Based on Bion’s recognition of the potential opportunities created
+Added: by such willingness, beginning in 2015, Bion has worked with the USDA’s
+Added: Process Verified Program (“PVP”) –
+Added: the gold standard in food verification and branding –
+Added: to establish a USDA PVP-certified
+Added: sustainable brand.
+Added: Bion received conditional approval from the PVP related to its Kreider 1 project (utilizing 2G Tech).
+Added: our intention to submit an application for the 3G Tech platform when the initial 3G Tech Project is operational later this fiscal year
+Added: and seek an approval for certification based on third-party-verified reductions in nutrient impacts, greenhouse gases and pathogens in
+Added: the waste stream (and other attributes), based on our 3G Tech.
+Added: PVP certification incorporated as part of a recognizable brand will provide
+Added: consumers with products and brands that can be trusted.
+Added: Bion believes that such a brand and livestock product line will command a pricing
+Added: premium for Bion’s livestock JVs and their customers.
+Added: Food safety and sustainability are issues
+Added: of growing importance in the U.S.
and worldwide.
−Removed: Bion’s branding initiative reflects trends already underway in
−Removed: the livestock industry.
−Removed: Driven by growing consumer demand, large food retailers (such as Walmart and Costco) and restaurant chains
−Removed: (including Chipotle and McDonalds) are increasingly demanding greater responsibility and improved sustainability in food production
−Removed: practices from their suppliers.
−Removed: The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (“Roundtable”) was created to advance a
−Removed: sustainable global beef value chain that is “environmentally sound, socially responsible and economically viable”.
−Removed: The Roundtable represents members from across the supply chain, including U.S., Canadian and Australian cattlemen’s associations,
−Removed: Cargill, JBS, Elanco, McDonalds and A&W.
−Removed: More recently, large institutional
−Removed: investors have begun to pressure the livestock industry.
−Removed: Ceres and several other large activist institutional investors have already
−Removed: expressed concerns about carbon footprint, water quality, antibiotic usage and animal welfare in letters to management of their
−Removed: investment holdings in the food production industry.
−Removed: The Collier Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return (“FAIRR”)
−Removed: Initiative was recently launched to highlight the environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) risks associated with
−Removed: large-scale livestock production.
−Removed: Over the last few years, most
−Removed: large meat and dairy product retailers have announced ‘sustainability’
−Removed: initiatives, although the definition of sustainability
−Removed: Bion believes that as these initiatives move forward, true sustainability on the production side will look a lot
−Removed: like what Bion can provide today with its 3G Tech.
−Removed: We believe our 3G Tech platform can deliver verifiable metrics that demonstrate
−Removed: meaningful improvements in sustainability for livestock production including:
−Removed: a) reduced carbon and nutrient footprint;
+Added: Bion’s branding initiative reflects trends already underway in the livestock industry.
+Added: Driven by growing consumer demand, large food retailers (such as Walmart and Costco) and restaurant chains (including Chipotle and McDonalds)
+Added: are increasingly demanding greater responsibility and improved sustainability in food production practices from their suppliers.
+Added: Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (“Roundtable”) was created to advance a sustainable global beef value chain that is “environmentally
+Added: sound, socially responsible and economically viable”.
+Added: The Roundtable represents members from across the supply chain, including
+Added: U.S., Canadian and Australian cattlemen’s associations, Cargill, JBS, Elanco, McDonalds and A&W.
+Added: Large institutional investors have begun
+Added: to pressure the livestock industry.
+Added: Ceres and several other large activist institutional investors have already expressed concerns about
+Added: carbon footprint, water quality, antibiotic usage and animal welfare in letters to management of their investment holdings in the food
+Added: production industry.
+Added: The Collier Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return (“FAIRR”) Initiative was recently launched to highlight
+Added: the environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) risks associated with large-scale livestock production.
+Added: In past years, the UN FAO has issued
+Added: several highly critical reports of the livestock industry, more recently focused on its impacts on climate change.
+Added: While some of their
+Added: early reports were based on incomplete data and faulty methodologies and have since been somewhat quietly ‘retracted’, a wide
+Added: array of activist groups, including climate, animal rights, and anti-factory farming advocates, have seized on them to create a global
+Added: “anti-meat”
+Added: messaging campaign.
+Added: Their messaging is predicated on the (incorrect) notion that agriculture, and the livestock
+Added: sector specifically, is the largest contributor to climate change, greater than the energy and transportation sectors.
+Added: While this fact
+Added: has been publicly ‘debunked’, the anti-meat campaign has been joined and amplified by various other stakeholders, governments,
+Added: and more recently, competitors in the alternative protein space, such as plant-based and cellular meats.
+Added: Over the last few years, most large
+Added: meat and dairy product retailers have announced ‘sustainability’
+Added: initiatives, although the definition of sustainability is
+Added: often unclear.
+Added: Based on recent statements from the industry regarding sustainability policy, many that identify goals that are 10 to 30
+Added: years in the future, Bion believes that sustainability on the production side will look a lot like what the Company’s 3G Tech
+Added: platform can provide today.
+Added: The 3G Tech platform can deliver verifiable metrics that demonstrate meaningful improvements in sustainability
+Added: for livestock production that are unmatched in the industry today, including a dramatically reduced carbon and nutrient footprint;
negative impacts to water, soil and air;
−Removed: c) increased pathogen destruction and other environmental and public health impacts that
−Removed: are unmatched in the industry today.
−Removed: The Covid-19 pandemic has further heightened consumer awareness
−Removed: and concerns related to:
−Removed: a) environmental sustainability, b) food safety, c) sourcing and traceability and d) humane treatment
−Removed: of both animals and workers.
−Removed: The more the livestock industry’s supply chain practices are transparent and known by consumers,
−Removed: the more consumers are seeking alternatives.
−Removed: Bion’s ‘Environmental/Sustainable’
−Removed: program is designed to address a wide array of consumer concerns ranging from:
+Added: increased pathogen destruction;
+Added: and other environmental and public health impacts.
+Added: pandemic has further heightened consumer awareness and concerns related to a) environmental sustainability, b) food safety, c) sourcing
+Added: and traceability and d) humane treatment of both animals and workers.
+Added: The more the livestock industry’s
+Added: supply chain practices become transparent and known by consumers, the more consumers are seeking alternatives.
+Added: Bion’s ‘Sustainable’
+Added: branding program is designed to address a wide array of consumer concerns ranging from:
a) ‘where does your food come from?’
−Removed: b) animal heritage information;
−Removed: c) anti-biotic use standards;
−Removed: d) humane animal treatment;
−Removed: d) its labor/human conditions (including
−Removed: hours, wages and working condition standards).
−Removed: It will include block chain traceability thereby enabling any quality issues to
−Removed: be quickly identified by lot and location thereby minimizing risk to its consumers.
−Removed: In essence, Bion’s comprehensive technology platform
−Removed: will enable its livestock producer adopters to not only be the provider of the ‘product the consumer wants’
−Removed: the company that ‘shares the consumer’s values’.
−Removed: For the past decade, Bion has been directed
−Removed: toward creating applications of our patented and proprietary waste management technologies and technology platform to pursue JVs
−Removed: in three main business opportunities:
−Removed: 1) Installation of Bion systems to retrofit and environmentally remediate existing large CAFOs (“Retrofits”
−Removed: and “Retrofit Projects”) in selected markets where:
−Removed: a) government policy supports such
−Removed: efforts (such as the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Great Lakes Basin states, and/or other states and watersheds facing EPA ‘total
−Removed: maximum daily load’
+Added: (animal heritage information);
+Added: b) environmental impacts;
+Added: c) antibiotic use/ standards;
+Added: d) animal welfare/ humane treatment;
+Added: welfare/ working conditions.
+Added: These issues can be addressed with the consumer through general advertising and/or at the point of sale with
+Added: a QR code on the packaging that links back to product-specific data.
+Added: The verification processes that will be employed by Bion’s
+Added: 3G Tech platform support block chain traceability, providing accountability throughout that part of the supply chain addressed by Bion’s
+Added: platform and enabling any quality issues to be quickly identified by lot and location, minimizing risk to its consumers.
+Added: In essence, Bion’s
+Added: comprehensive technology platform will enable its livestock JVs and other adopters to be not only the provider of the product the consumer
+Added: wants, but also the businesses that shares their consumers’
+Added: Technology Applications/Business Opportunities
+Added: For the past decade, Bion has been focused on developing
+Added: its 3G Tech platform and creating applications for its patented and proprietary waste management technology platform to pursue JVs and
+Added: other business opportunities in three broad categories:
+Added: Development of new state-of-the-art large scale waste treatment facilities (now utilizing our 3G Tech) as JVs, which may be developed
+Added: in conjunction with new CAFOs in strategic locations (some of which were previously impracticable due to environmental impacts) and/or
+Added: to treat the waste streams from one or more existing large livestock facilities (“Projects”).
+Added: Some of these Projects may be
+Added: either a) Integrated Projects as described below, b) ‘central processing facilities’
+Added: which receive the waste from multiple
+Added: livestock facilities, c) Retrofit Projects or d) hybrids with elements of each of these types.
+Added: Each version will be able to realize revenue
+Added: from multiple revenue streams potentially generated by our 3G Tech.
+Added: The “Sustainable Beef”
+Added: “Sustainable Organic Beef”
+Added: opportunities (discussed both above and below) would be examples of this category.
+Added: b) Installation
+Added: of Bion systems to retrofit and environmentally remediate existing large CAFOs (“Retrofits”
+Added: and “Retrofit Projects”)
+Added: in selected markets where:
+Added: a) government policy supports such efforts
+Added: (such as the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Great Lakes Basin states, and/or other states and watersheds facing EPA ‘total maximum daily
(“TMDL”) issues), and/or
1 unchanged sentence
to obtain permits to expand or develop without negative environmental consequences.
−Removed: 2) Development of new state-of-the-art
−Removed: large scale waste treatment facilities (now utilizing our 3G Tech) as JVs which may be developed in conjunction with new CAFOs
−Removed: in strategic locations that were previously impracticable due to environmental impacts and/or to treat the waste streams from one
−Removed: or more existing large livestock facilities (“Projects”).
−Removed: Some of these Projects may be either a) Integrated Projects
−Removed: as described below, b) ‘central processing facilities’
−Removed: which receive the waste from multiple livestock facilities,
−Removed: c) Retrofit Projects or d) hybrids with elements of each of these types.
−Removed: Each version will be able to realize revenue from multiple
−Removed: revenue streams potentially generated by our 3G Tech.
−Removed: 3) Licensing and/or joint venturing
−Removed: of Bion’s technology and applications (primarily) outside North America.
−Removed: In both categories 1) and 2) above, the
−Removed: Company intends to directly participate (whether by joint venture agreement or other contractual arrangements) in the revenues
−Removed: of the Retrofits and Projects.
−Removed: The opportunities described at categories
−Removed: 1) and 2) above each require substantial political and regulatory (federal, state and local) efforts on the part of the Company
−Removed: and a substantial part of Bion’s efforts are focused on such political and regulatory matters.
−Removed: Bion is currently intends
−Removed: to pursue the international opportunities primarily through the use of consultants with existing relationships in target countries.
−Removed: At this time, our primary focus is on categories
−Removed: 1) and 2) above using our 3G Tech to develop new (or expanded) large-scale Projects with strategic partners (including the Kreider
−Removed: 2 Project) on a joint venture (or other participating contractual form) basis.
−Removed: Bion’s business model opens up the opportunity
−Removed: for JV’s in various forms based upon the revenue generated by our 3G Tech platform from nutrient reductions, fertilizer co-products
−Removed: and renewable natural gas (which revenue streams will be secured through long term take-off agreements for each of these co-products)
−Removed: providing initial support for financing of required capital expenditures (whether equity or debt).
−Removed: We anticipate that these revenue
−Removed: streams will be supplemented by revenue realized from long-term premium pricing resulting from the sustainable branding opportunity.
−Removed: We believe that the branding opportunity may provide the single largest contribution to the economic opportunity over time.
−Removed: Kreider Poultry Farms –
−Removed: 3G Tech Project
−Removed: Bion is completing an envelope of policy change
−Removed: and technology pilots that will allow it to move forward with a commercial scale 3G Tech project at Kreider Farms.
−Removed: Having recently
−Removed: received a Notice of Allowance of its third 3G Tech patent, Bion is focused on multiple key tasks (including the following items)
−Removed: that will allow Bion to finance and develop the Kreider 2 poultry project:
−Removed: Support for adoption of PA SB 575 (or successor bill):
−Removed: This will create a competitively-bid market
−Removed: for nutrient reductions/Credits that we believe will provide support for project financing for Kreider 2 prior to development of
−Removed: markets for the coproducts from Kreider 2 are established.
−Removed: Installation of a commercial-scale 3G Tech ammonia recovery system to produce ammonium bicarbonate
−Removed: products to be used for grower trials.
−Removed: Completion of organic filings for all of Bion’s fertilizer products.
−Removed: The 3G Tech Kreider 2 project is
−Removed: planned for two (or more) locations.
−Removed: It is intended to treat the waste from Kreider Farms’
−Removed: 1,600 dairy cows and approximately
−Removed: six million egg layer chickens (with capacity for an additional three million layers).
−Removed: The Project will be designed for an initial
−Removed: capacity of 450 tons per day of waste and will remove nitrogen and phosphorus from the waste stream that will be converted into
−Removed: high-value coproducts instead of polluting local and downstream waters.
−Removed: The Project is planned to be built in three phases and
−Removed: may be expanded to include a ‘central processing facility’
−Removed: with modules that will accept transported waste from the
−Removed: region on a fee basis.
−Removed: Bion has a long-standing relationship with
−Removed: Kreider Farms including a 2016 joint venture agreement related to these facilities.
−Removed: Kreider has already made a significant investment
−Removed: in upgrading its poultry facilities to maximize the treatment and recovery efficiencies that can be achieved with Bion’s
−Removed: The Kreider 2 project is dependent, in part, on development of a substantial competitively-bid market for long-term
−Removed: commercial sale of the nutrient reduction credits produced at Kreider 2.
−Removed: If the competitive procurement is implemented, we intend
−Removed: to arrange project financing for the initial portions of the Kreider 2 Project during 2021.
−Removed: Integrated Projects:
−Removed: While Bion’s 3G livestock waste treatment
−Removed: technology reduces the environmental impacts from livestock waste, Bion’s comprehensive technology platform provides the
−Removed: broader integrated response to consumer environmental sustainability concerns.
−Removed: The adoption of Bion’s platform integrates
−Removed: to varying degrees of the overall livestock production cycle from crop production to processing.
−Removed: Projects utilizing the Bion 3G
−Removed: Tech platform will be able to create cost-effective, verified data-based responses to consumer sustainability and food safety concerns.
−Removed: Without such integration, adoption of livestock waste treatment technology in a vacuum will not address the various growing consumer
−Removed: concerns (such as animal health and worker safety issues) related to livestock agriculture.
−Removed: We believe that Bion’s technology also
−Removed: creates the opportunity to enter joint ventures with livestock and other agriculture industry entities (“JVs”) to develop
−Removed: Integrated Projects that profitably integrate large-scale CAFO's production with their feed producers (some of whom may utilize
−Removed: Bion’s organic fertilizers), downstream food processing facilities, and in certain applications, biofuel/ethanol production.
−Removed: The Bion 3G technology platform will provide treatment of, as well as renewable energy and co-product recovery/production from,
−Removed: the CAFO and/or food processing waste streams, on-site utilization of some or all of the renewable energy generated (and potentially,
−Removed: biofuel/ethanol production), in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner that reduces the aggregate capital expense
−Removed: and operating costs for the entire integrated complex while increasing production efficiencies and generating supplemental revenue
−Removed: Sustainable/ Organic Grain-Finished Beef
−Removed: Bion believes there is a potentially large opportunity
−Removed: for JVs to produce sustainable/organic grain-finished beef.
−Removed: Beef production is the most challenged sector of the
−Removed: livestock industry, due to its size and inability, as currently structured, to respond to growing consumer concerns related to
+Added: The Kreider Poultry JV project (“Kreider
+Added: or Kreider Poultry”) (discussed below) is an example of such a Retrofit Project.
+Added: c) Licensing and/or joint venturing of Bion’s technology and applications, primarily targeted outside
+Added: North America.
+Added: In both categories a) and b) above, the Company intends
+Added: to directly participate (whether by joint venture agreement or other contractual arrangements) in the revenues of the Retrofits and Projects.
+Added: The opportunities described in categories a) and b)
+Added: above each require substantial political and regulatory (federal, state and local) efforts on the part of the Company and a substantial
+Added: part of Bion’s efforts are focused on such political and regulatory matters.
+Added: Bion currently intends to pursue the international
+Added: opportunities primarily through the use of consultants with existing relationships in target countries.
+Added: At this time, our primary focus is on categories a)
+Added: and b) above, using our 3G Tech to develop new (or expanded) large-scale Projects with strategic partners (including the Kreider 2 Project)
+Added: on a joint venture (or other participating contractual form) basis.
+Added: Bion’s business model opens up the opportunity for JVs in various
+Added: forms, based upon the revenue generated by our 3G Tech platform from nutrient reductions, fertilizer co-products and renewable natural
+Added: gas (which revenue streams will be secured through long term take-off agreements for each of these co-products) providing initial support
+Added: for financing of required capital expenditures (whether equity or debt).
+Added: We anticipate that these revenue streams will be supplemented
+Added: by revenue realized from long-term premium pricing resulting from the sustainable branding opportunity.
+Added: We believe that, over time, the
+Added: branding opportunity may provide the single largest contribution to the overall economic opportunity enabled by Bion’s 3G Tech platform
+Added: and business model.
+Added: Initial 3G Tech Project:
+Added: Sustainable Beef Demonstration Facility
+Added: During the 2021 fiscal year, Bion completed a series
+Added: of core optimization trials of its 3G Tech platform that were required to move forward with its initial commercial scale 3G Tech project.
+Added: As described in more detail above, Bion recently executed agreements related to development a sustainable beef demonstration facility
+Added: on approximately four (4) leased acres near Fair Oaks, Indiana.
+Added: The project, as presently planned, will include a covered barn for up
+Added: to 300 head of cattle, designed to allow daily manure production to flow into Bion’s 3G Tech waste treatment/resource recovery platform
+Added: that includes an anaerobic digester (“AD”) to generate biogas and CO2, followed by Bion’s patented 3G Tech ammonia recovery
+Added: process to produce organic ammonium bicarbonate and nutrient-rich solids.
+Added: Sustainable/Organic Corn-Finished Beef Opportunity
+Added: is the largest producer of beef (and
+Added: veal) in the world, accounting for 11.5 million tons out of 61.5 million tons produced worldwide in 2020.
+Added: Per capita beef consumption
+Added: was approximately 70 pounds in 2020, up from 55 pounds in 2011.
+Added: Annual cash receipts for all U.S.
+Added: ‘cattle and calves’
+Added: were lower at approximately $62 billion in 2020, with 2021 receipts anticipated to be higher (and back in line with recent years) at $66
+Added: Retail sales of fresh beef in the U.S.
+Added: in 2020 were $30.2 billion.
+Added: In 2020, there were approximately 93.8 million cattle and
+Added: calves in the U.S., with 14.7 million on feed.
+Added: Of those cattle on feed, 81.4 percent were in feedlots with a capacity over 1,000 head.
+Added: Beef production is the most challenged sector
+Added: of the livestock industry, due to its size and inability, as currently structured, to respond to growing consumer concerns related to
sustainability and food safety.
−Removed: The industry is structured to produce multiple levels of a commodity products (without any significant
−Removed: pricing premiums) graded based upon taste and tenderness.
−Removed: Today, however, consumer demand is shifting to products that are more
−Removed: sustainable, regarding carbon footprint, impacts to air and water and other metrics.
−Removed: The result has been an opening for disruptive
−Removed: startups, including Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, that are backed by large institutional investors and offer plant-based (in
−Removed: part) meat substitutes.
+Added: The beef industry is highly fragmented, and it is designed to produce multiple levels of commodity products
+Added: (without any significant pricing premiums) that are graded based on marbling (fat) that determines taste and tenderness.
+Added: Further, during
+Added: its several decades of growth, the industry has avoided significant environmental regulation, and instead, has externalized its environmental
+Added: costs by returning its waste to crop fields, where much of it is ‘flushed’
+Added: Today, however, consumer demand is
+Added: shifting to products that are more sustainable, regarding carbon footprint, impacts to air and water, and other metrics.
+Added: The result has
+Added: been an opening for disruptive startups, including Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, that are backed by large institutional investors
+Added: and offer plant-based (in part) meat substitutes.
The CEO of Impossible Foods has made bold claims that the $100B-plus (U.S.
−Removed: alone) meat industry will be
−Removed: obsolete in 15 years.
−Removed: The Company disagrees --- but such competition provides opportunities for Bion.
−Removed: The Company doesn’t think the consumer wants to
−Removed: ‘blow up’
+Added: industry will be obsolete in 15 years.
+Added: Bion disagrees --- but such competition provides and highlights opportunities for us.
+Added: The Company doesn’t think the consumer
+Added: wants to ‘blow up’
the beef industry, which is responsible for the best and safest beef available in the world today (as well
as the livelihoods of almost 800,000 farming, ranching and other families supported by the beef industry in the U.S).
−Removed: Rather, consumers
−Removed: want it to be more sustainable --- and still taste good .
+Added: Nor do market studies
+Added: bear out the concept that consumers want to replace the current supply chain.
+Added: Rather, the studies indicate that consumers want the supply
+Added: chain to be more sustainable --- and still taste good .
Bion believes that strong demand exists for a verified sustainable
−Removed: beef product, with the taste and texture of traditional corn-fed beef which addresses the consumers’
−Removed: technology platform is designed to enable livestock producers to produce an environmentally sustainable beef product.
−Removed: worked with the USDA’s Process Verified Program (“PVP”) to establish a USDA-certified sustainable brand.
−Removed: previously achieved conditional approval (for its 2G Tech pending resubmission and final inspections) for USDA brand certification
−Removed: that would initially include verified reductions in carbon, nutrients, and pathogens.
−Removed: The Company is confident that its 3G Tech
−Removed: will support a PVP brand for products of both sustainable and/or organic beef JVs.
−Removed: We are moving forward with preliminary pre-development
−Removed: work on a JV to build a state of the art beef cattle operation in the Midwest U.S.
−Removed: The project would produce corn-fed USDA-certified
−Removed: organic- and/or sustainable-branded beef.
−Removed: Organic beef would be finished on organic corn (vs grass fed), produced using the ammonium
−Removed: bicarbonate fertilizer captured from the cattle’s waste.
−Removed: We believe Bion’s unique ability to produce fertilizer for
−Removed: growing of a supply of low-cost organic corn, and the resulting opportunity to produce organic beef, will dramatically differentiate
−Removed: us from potential competitors.
−Removed: This organic opportunity is dependent on successfully establishing Bion’s fertilizer products
−Removed: as acceptable for use in organic grain production.
−Removed: In addition, as described above, we intend to develop
−Removed: JVs which use Bion’s organic ammonium bicarbonate fertilizers to support organic grain production.
−Removed: This grain can be fed
−Removed: (in the finishing stage) to livestock and raise organic beef (and beef products) that will meet consumer demand with respect to
−Removed: sustainability and safety and provide the tenderness and taste American consumers have come to expect from premium American beef.
−Removed: Such a product is largely unavailable in the market today.
−Removed: Bion views such Integrated Projects as likely
−Removed: comprising parties including:
−Removed: a) Bion, b)capital market financing providers, c) participating organic grain producers, d) cow calf
−Removed: operators, e) cattle feedlot operators and f) slaughter/processing plants.
−Removed: Bion’s model will enable each market segment to
−Removed: generate greater profitability for essentially performing the same basic services as part of an integrated program rather than
−Removed: the present fragmented industry model.
−Removed: Providing an organic corn producer with sufficient ammonium bicarbonate to support a higher
−Removed: yield per acre in return for a share of the excess yield value is one example of integration.
−Removed: Bion’s current long-term goal is to enter
−Removed: in to JVs to commence development of a number of integrated beef projects in the Midwest over the next 24 to 48 months.
−Removed: We anticipate
−Removed: that different projects will be integrated to different degrees and in different manners.
−Removed: Bion, as developer of, technology provider
−Removed: to, a participant in its Integrated Projects, anticipates that it will share in the cost savings and revenue generated from the
−Removed: benefits of integrated activities, including the potential for premium pricing due to sustainable branding.
−Removed: Note that, in addition to the organic beef opportunity,
−Removed: Bion’s 3G Tech can also support sustainable beef, with a dramatically reduced nutrient (water), carbon (air), and pathogen
−Removed: footprint with USDA PVP certified branding.
−Removed: The Company also intends to pursue this opportunity.
−Removed: A material portion of the Company’s current activity
−Removed: is focused on activities needed to be completed to support these opportunities
−Removed: We anticipate that most JV Projects (including
−Removed: Integrated Projects) undertaken by the Company in which we retain ownership interests will be pursued through and owned by
−Removed: single project subsidiaries.
−Removed: Bion PA 1 LLC (“PA1”), through which the Kreider 1 System was developed at the Kreider
−Removed: dairy, and Bion PA 2 LLC (“PA2”), through which we are pursuing development of the Kreider JV and the Kreider 2 poultry
−Removed: waste Project, are the first two of what are likely to be many such entities.
+Added: beef product that is real meat, with the taste and texture of traditional corn-fed beef, but which addresses consumers’
+Added: sustainability
+Added: Bion’s technology platform is designed to produce such an environmentally sustainable beef (and other meat) product.
+Added: previously achieved conditional approval (for its 2G Tech pending resubmission and final inspections) for USDA brand certification that
+Added: would initially include verified reductions in carbon, nutrients, and pathogens.
+Added: The Company is confident that its 3G Tech will support
+Added: a PVP brand for products of sustainable and organic beef JVs.
+Added: Market studies indicate there is potentially
+Added: a large, currently unserved, market for sustainable/organic corn-finished beef;
+Added: and further, that this is a long term and growing trend.
+Added: Bion believes its 30 years of experience and expertise in livestock waste management, coupled with its state-of-the-art 3G Tech platform
+Added: and first-mover advantage, put the Company and its selected JV partners in a unique position to develop the most environmentally and economically
+Added: sustainable animal protein production facilities possible today.
+Added: The Company is unaware of any other technology and/or business model
+Added: that can offer the same level of comprehensive treatment of livestock waste, produce high value coproducts, and deliver a sustainable
+Added: brand that can provide an industry response to counter today’s anti-meat messaging, along with the inroads in the animal protein
+Added: market being made by alternative protein competitors.
+Added: ‘Sustainable’
+Added: and ‘organic’
+Added: are two separate and distinct designations and represent different markets and consumers.
+Added: While the markets and consumer demographics
+Added: may overlap, it is assumed for purposes of Bion’s analysis and planning that the market for sustainable beef will be larger but
+Added: command a smaller pricing premium;
+Added: while the market for organic will be smaller but command a substantially larger premium and be somewhat
+Added: costlier to produce.
+Added: Note that in the sustainable and organic markets targeted by Bion, ‘corn-finished’
+Added: is a constant.
+Added: believes, and the market has demonstrated, that delivering the same taste and texture that consumers expect in American beef and other
+Added: meat products is a key to successful market acceptance, within both the sustainable and sustainable organic markets.
+Added: The success of grass-fed/organic
+Added: ground beef vs that of grass-fed/organic steaks demonstrates that palatability, as well as price, is a key criterion in whether a consumer
+Added: chooses sustainability.
+Added: Bion’s 3G Tech platform supports production of beef products that check all the boxes:
+Added: sustainable, expected
+Added: taste/texture, and affordable.
+Added: Bion believes there is an opportunity to essentially
+Added: ‘reinvent’
+Added: a portion of the beef production supply chain to provide at least a premium segment of the market with an affordable
+Added: product that satisfies consumers’
+Added: sustainability concerns.
+Added: Further, that the opportunity is large in scope and of sufficient duration
+Added: and potential economic upside to warrant the investment of significant capital and resources.
+Added: We expect our anticipated project development
+Added: timeline us and our JV partners to be first to market with a sustainable/organic beef product at scale.
+Added: The ability to deliver a large
+Added: supply of a consistent product will be critical to the large retail distribution partners Bion will seek to include in its JVs.
+Added: Our first-mover
+Added: advantage should allow us to capture a significant portion of the early adopters in what market studies indicate is a potentially large,
+Added: and essentially unserved, market.
+Added: In parallel with the beef demonstration project
+Added: described above, we continue to move forward with preliminary pre-development work on a JV to build a large-scale state-of-the-art beef
+Added: cattle feeding operations in the Midwest U.S.
+Added: The projects would be developed to produce a supply of corn-fed beef that is a mixture of
+Added: both USDA PVP-certified sustainable and sustainable-organic brands.
+Added: Bion believes that once it has demonstrated successful commercial
+Added: scale operations at its beef demonstration facility and obtained approval of its current OMRI application for AD Nitrogen, it will be
+Added: able to move forward with its first large scale sustainable/organic beef JV during the 2022 calendar year.
+Added: Bion intends to pursue its ‘beef opportunity’
+Added: in a series of large-scale JV projects, which will be based on construction of 10 modules housing approximately 15,000 head each, for
+Added: a total of 150,000 head per project.
+Added: Bion anticipates that these JVs would be comprised of parties that could include a) Bion, b) capital
+Added: market/financing providers, and c) strategic industry partners who would be equity participants.
+Added: The supply chain would include participating
+Added: a) organic corn producers, b) cow-calf operators, c) cattle feedlot operators, d) slaughter/processing plants, and e) retail distribution
+Added: partners subject to standards and controls.
+Added: Bion’s model will enable each segment of the supply chain to generate greater profitability
+Added: as part of an integrated program, rather than the present fragmented industry model, for essentially performing the same basic services.
+Added: One example of such integration is providing an organic corn producer with sufficient ammonium bicarbonate to support a higher yield per
+Added: acre, in return for a share of the excess yield value and a production purchase commitment.
+Added: Bion plans to begin development of the first
+Added: modules of its initial large-scale beef projects in late 2022 based on results from its Initial Project (discussed above).
+Added: currently has a goal to develop and establish production at four to six such beef projects in production (at least in part) over the next
+Added: five years, with a target capacity goal for this business segment in the range of 600,000 - 900,000 head.
+Added: Based on the 14.7 million cows
+Added: on feed in the U.S.
+Added: in 2020, this would represent market penetration of four to six percent.
+Added: Bion recently published a brief white paper
+Added: on its beef opportunity (which speaks as of its date), including economic models, which is available for review or download on the Company’s
+Added: website at https://bionenviro.com/bions-beef-opportunity/.
+Added: Retrofit 3G Tech Project:
+Added: Kreider Poultry
+Added: JV (“Kreider 2”)
+Added: The JV Kreider 2 3G Tech project is intended
+Added: to treat the waste from Kreider Farms’
+Added: approximately six million egg layer chickens (with capacity for an additional three million
+Added: layers)( and potentially 1,600 dairy cows).
+Added: The Project will be designed for an initial capacity of 450 tons per day of waste and will
+Added: remove nitrogen and phosphorus from the waste stream that will be converted into high-value coproducts instead of polluting local and
+Added: downstream waters.
+Added: The Project is planned to be built in multiple phases and may be expanded to include a ‘central processing facility’
+Added: with modules that will accept transported waste from the region on a fee basis.
+Added: Bion has a long-standing relationship with Kreider
+Added: Farms, including a 2016 joint venture agreement related to these potential facilities.
+Added: Kreider has already made a significant investment
+Added: in upgrading its poultry facilities to maximize the treatment and recovery efficiencies that can be achieved with Bion’s technology.
+Added: Note, however, that the Kreider 2 project is dependent, in part, on development of a substantial competitively-bid market for long-term
+Added: commercial sale of the nutrient reduction credits produced at Kreider 2 (or another form of payment for ecosystem services).
+Added: viable competitive procurement program for nutrient credits or similar program is implemented in PA, we intend to move forward on the
+Added: development of the initial portions of the Kreider 2 Project during the subsequent year.
+Added: Certain matters related to Kreider 2 are discussed
+Added: below at “Kreider Poultry Joint Venture and Pennsylvania and Chesapeake Bay Initiatives”.
+Added: Policy Change is Coming
+Added: Because Bion believes that policy change is coming,
+Added: we continue to work with an array of stakeholders, including national representatives of the livestock industry, to support establishing
+Added: new market driven strategies to allow the private sector, including the livestock industry, to provide low-cost large-scale verifiable
+Added: solutions to our Nation’s clean water challenges.
+Added: There are many states that face similar (or worse) to Pennsylvania’s livestock
+Added: waste-related pollution issues, and they will be forced to adopt new strategies, as well.
+Added: When competitively-bid markets for nutrient
+Added: reductions (and/or other means to monetize environmental benefits) become fully established, Bion anticipates a robust opportunity to
+Added: use its 3G Tech-based platforms to retrofit both existing CAFOs and equip new large-scale livestock facilities (“Projects”)
+Added: which will generate the supplemental revenue needed to profitably afford technology implementation from sales of verified nutrient reduction
+Added: Bion's 3G Tech can provide a solution to a significant
+Added: portion to the livestock problem discussed above because it prevents the uncontrolled release to the environment of most of the nutrients
+Added: from the CAFO waste stream, while treating the waste stream and recovering a substantial portion of those nutrients for value-added commercial
+Added: Our technology platform largely eliminates ammonia emissions, other substantial greenhouse gas emissions, odors and other
+Added: harmful air pollutants.
+Added: Additionally, the platform destroys virtually all pathogens in the waste stream that have been linked to foodborne
+Added: illnesses and growing antibiotic resistance.
+Added: Similar to point-source treatment, such as provided by an industrial or municipal wastewater
+Added: treatment plants, the performance of Bion’s technology platform can be precisely monitored, measured and quantified (in contrast
+Added: to the modeled, in-exact - and so far, disappointing - results from modeled BMPs).
+Added: Third-party data from our facilities can provide the
+Added: basis for verified environmental credits, and related revenues, as well as sustainable branding claims.
+Added: In contrast, the current clean water strategy being
+Added: utilized in the U.S.
+Added: is clearly failing, because it doesn’t adequately address waste from agriculture.
+Added: About half of U.S.
+Added: are now fertilized with raw, untreated manure.
+Added: However, approximately 75 percent of the nitrogen in that manure is not utilized by the
+Added: plants being fertilized but rather ‘escapes’
+Added: to contaminate the environment through various pathways.
+Added: Because livestock waste
+Added: is one of the largest contributors to nutrient problems in our watersheds, livestock waste treatment can be the source of the low-cost
+Added: solution for such problems –
+Added: if the waste is treated upstream at (or close to) the source of production.
+Added: Manure control technologies,
+Added: applied to large scale facilities where concentration and scale enable cost-effective cleanup, can potentially offer the lowest cost nutrient
+Added: solutions available in most watersheds today.
+Added: More than 80 percent of U.S.
+Added: livestock production takes place on large-scale facilities,
+Added: where cost-effective treatment can be implemented.
+Added: There is no longer any real question regarding whether such facilities need to be cleaned
+Added: The actual question for public policy concerns developing sources of new revenues which will enable the livestock industry to offset
+Added: the implementation costs for the cleanup.
+Added: Despite trends toward concentration in segments over
+Added: the last several decades, the U.S.
+Added: animal-protein industry remains (in large part) a fragmented, low-margin commodity business without
+Added: effective integrated efforts toward either environmentally or economically sustainable production.
+Added: Cleaning it up will have to be orderly
+Added: and contain a path to sustainability that does not cause U.S.
+Added: food costs to spike or bankrupt the industry.
+Added: This will require treatment
+Added: sufficient to remove the volume of nutrients in excess of crop requirements.
+Added: Because the global export market represents a significant
+Added: part of the U.S.
+Added: livestock production industry, direct increases in federal regulation without offsetting revenues would likely create
+Added: costs that could not be absorbed by the industry in a manner that would allow it to remain competitive in international markets.
+Added: state regulation would have a similar chilling effect within the U.S., since regulated producers in one state would be unable to compete
+Added: with unregulated producers in adjoining states.
+Added: Subsidies and/or new revenue sources are required.
+Added: Bion believes that reallocating some part of the approximately
+Added: $110 billion in existing U.S.
+Added: taxpayer-funded clean water spending to lower-cost alternative solutions in agriculture (including
+Added: competitively-bid nutrient reduction procurement) is inevitable.
+Added: It will provide the taxpayer with accelerated and substantially lower-cost verified air
+Added: and water quality solutions compared to current strategy.
+Added: If Bion’s technology is implemented in appropriate situations, it will
+Added: provide the livestock industry with the recurring revenues that are needed to offset the costs of technology adoption without major disruption
+Added: to the industry.
+Added: To date, a wide range of entrenched interests have opposed and fought policy change that might reallocate clean water
+Added: spending to more cost-effective alternatives;
+Added: but this common-sense approach is being accepted by a widening group of stakeholders.
+Added: NOTE, THAT THE CURRENT COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND RESULTANT
+Added: ECONOMIC CRISES AND BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS APPEAR TO HAVE DELAYED POLICY INITIATIVES RELATED TO THESE MATTERS AT BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL
+Added: AS A RESULT, IT IS NOT CURRENTLY POSSIBLE TO REASONABLY PROJECT A TIMETABLE FOR ADOPTION OF THE POLICY CHANGES DISCUSSED HEREIN.
+Added: However, Bion believes that some opportunity exists
+Added: at the federal level in the projected infrastructure spending to create funding for climate and environmental initiatives.
+Added: the Phase II Infrastructure proposals under discussion and scheduled to be taken up in the current legislative session include a 30% federal
+Added: tax credit to partially offset costs of adoption of environmental technologies such as AD and Bion’s 3G Tech waste treatment technology.
+Added: Such an incentive, if passed (of which there is no assurance), would materially impact JV project economics (including the Kreider 2 project).
+Added: Note that a bipartisan 2013 Pennsylvania legislative study projected
+Added: that creating a competitive bidding program to procure verified nitrogen reductions to meet federal Chesapeake Bay mandates, regardless
+Added: of source , could reduce the state’s tax- and ratepayer-funded compliance costs by up to 80 percent (approximately $1.5B annually).
+Added: The legislative study was updated in 2018 to reflect new policies.
+Added: The updated report projects savings of up to 90 percent.
+Added: in the original study, much of the savings were due to low-cost high-impact manure control projects (Bion’s technology figured prominently
+Added: in the report).
+Added: Senate Bill 575, which was supported by legislative leadership, national livestock interests and other key stakeholders
+Added: (and is consistent with US EPA policies), which would have established a competitive procurement program and unlock some of these opportunities
+Added: in PA was passed during June 2019 by the Pennsylvania Senate voted 33 to 17 but one effect of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis has been that
+Added: PA funding for new initiatives is largely ‘on hold’
+Added: at the present time.
+Added: Currently SB 475 and SB 832 which deal with these
+Added: matters have been introduced and are pending.
+Added: Bion anticipates that after passage of a similar bill in the future (of which there is no
+Added: assurance) , PA will establish a competitively-bid market for nutrient credits within twelve months after legislative passage and being
+Added: signed into law by the Governor.
+Added: See “Pre-3G Tech:
+Added: Chesapeake Bay Watershed:
+Added: Kreider Farms Projects/Pennsylvania Initiatives”
+Added: below for discussion of the history and status of matters in PA.
+Added: In a 2017 Letter of Expectation to PA’s
+Added: Department of Environmental Protection, US EPA demonstrated its support of a procurement strategy to engage the private sector - as long
+Added: as the Credits are verified.
+Added: It is noteworthy that US EPA and national livestock industry representatives agree on this strategy.
+Added: a procurement strategy is also consistent with USDA and EPA support of ‘Private Partnerships’
+Added: and OMB’s guidance that
+Added: supports acquiring verified results vs.
+Added: financing projects with uncertain outcomes and taxpayer risks.
+Added: We believe that such strategies
+Added: being developed in Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay, if implemented, are likely to serve as a model for the 40 other states now seeking
+Added: solutions to similar water quality problems.
+Added: Today, most states face a similar issue---unfunded federal clean water mandates.
+Added: Pennsylvania’s
+Added: proposed competitive bidding program provides an opportunity to significantly reduce the cost to PA (and a model for other states to utilize
+Added: in the future) in meeting such mandates.
+Added: Integrated Projects:
+Added: While Bion’s 3G livestock waste treatment technology
+Added: reduces the environmental impacts from livestock waste, Bion’s comprehensive technology platform provides the broader integrated
+Added: response to consumer environmental sustainability concerns.
+Added: The adoption of Bion’s platform integrates to varying degrees of the
+Added: overall livestock production cycle from crop production to processing.
+Added: Projects utilizing the Bion 3G Tech platform will be able to create
+Added: cost-effective, verified data-based responses to consumer sustainability and food safety concerns.
+Added: Without such integration, adoption
+Added: of livestock waste treatment technology in a vacuum will not address the various growing consumer concerns (such as animal health and
+Added: worker safety issues) related to livestock agriculture.
+Added: We believe that Bion’s technology also creates
+Added: the opportunity to enter joint ventures with livestock and other agriculture industry entities (“JVs”) to develop Integrated
+Added: Projects that profitably integrate large-scale CAFO's production with their feed producers (some of whom may utilize Bion’s organic
+Added: fertilizers), downstream food processing facilities, and in certain applications, biofuel/ethanol production.
+Added: The Bion 3G technology platform
+Added: will provide treatment of, as well as renewable energy and co-product recovery/production from, the CAFO and/or food processing waste
+Added: streams, on-site utilization of some or all of the renewable energy generated (and potentially, biofuel/ethanol production), in an environmentally
+Added: and economically sustainable manner that reduces the aggregate capital expense and operating costs for the entire integrated complex while
+Added: increasing production efficiencies and generating supplemental revenue streams.
+Added: We anticipate that most JV Projects (including Integrated
+Added: Projects) undertaken by the Company in which we retain ownership interests will be pursued through and owned by single project subsidiaries.
+Added: Bion PA 1 LLC (“PA1”), through which the Kreider 1 System was developed at the Kreider dairy, Bion PA 2 LLC (“PA2”)
+Added: through which we are pursuing development of the Kreider JV and the Kreider 2 poultry waste Project, and Bion 3G-1 LLC (“3G1”)
+Added: through which our initial 3G Tech beef project will be developed, are the first three of what are likely to be many such entities.
Going Concern:
−Removed: The Company's consolidated financial statements
−Removed: for the years ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 included herein have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern.
+Added: The Company's consolidated financial statements for
+Added: the years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 included herein have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern.
The Company has not recorded significant revenue from operations for either of the years ended June 30, 2021 or June 30, 2020.
−Removed: The Company has incurred net losses of approximately of $4,553,000 and $2,659,000 during the years ended June 30, 2020 and 2019,
−Removed: respectively.
−Removed: The Company had a working capital deficit and stockholders' deficit, respectively, of approximately $10,474,000 and
−Removed: $15,130,000 as of June 30, 2020.The report of the independent registered public accounting firm on the Company's consolidated financial
−Removed: statements as of and for the years ended June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2019 includes a "going concern"
−Removed: explanatory paragraph,
−Removed: which means that there are factors that raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.
+Added: Company has incurred net losses of approximately of $3,451,000 and $4,553,000 during the years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
+Added: The Company had a working capital deficit and stockholders' deficit, respectively, of approximately $6,614,000 and $11,445,000 as of June
+Added: 30, 2021.The report of the independent registered public accounting firm on the Company's consolidated financial statements as of and
+Added: for the years ended June 30, 2021 and June 30, 2020 includes a "going concern"
+Added: explanatory paragraph, which means that there
+Added: are factors that raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.
PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
−Removed: The Company’s primary focus is
−Removed: on implementing its 3G Tech in JVs (as described above).
+Added: The Company’s primary focus is on implementing
+Added: its 3G Tech in JVs (as described above).
Therefore, the category ‘
PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES’
−Removed: is not fully appropriate.
−Removed: While the Company may implement some 3G Tech systems on a contractual basis, our business is not primarily
−Removed: involved in sale or long term direct operations/management of our systems.
−Removed: The discussion below should be read in the context this
−Removed: business focus (described in detail above and below).
−Removed: Bion has invested over $100 million in
−Removed: its business since 1989, much of which has been expended development of its technologies and technology platform, policy change
−Removed: initiatives and other activities.
−Removed: Our 2G Tech (now supplanted by our 3G Tech) was proven at commercial scale and was been reviewed
−Removed: and qualified for federal loan guarantees under USDA’s Technical Assessment program.
−Removed: The 2G Tech platform (as will our 3G
−Removed: Tech going forward) provided verified nutrient credits from wet livestock waste (dairy, beef, and swine) that can be used to offset
−Removed: US EPA-mandated TMDL requirements.
−Removed: The Company intends to implement its first 3G Tech systems during the 2021 (current) and 2022
−Removed: fiscal years.
−Removed: Our 3G Tech and 3G Tech platform provide the basis for our planned JVs and Projects and therefore constitute our
−Removed: ‘principal products’.
−Removed: Each Bion system (whether prior 2G Tech
−Removed: or current 3G Tech) is comprised of several process units combined in a ‘process train’, much like a municipal wastewater
−Removed: treatment plant.
−Removed: The platform utilizes a combination of mechanical, biological, and thermal processes and can be configured in
−Removed: a variety of ways, based on the needs and economics of the location, to provide the level of environmental treatment required,
−Removed: while separating and aggregating the various components of the waste stream for processing and recovery.
−Removed: A key attribute of the
−Removed: Bion platform is that the performance of the systems can be measured, quantified and verified through a proprietary data collection
−Removed: system, providing a level of oversight and verification similar to waste water treatment facilities.
−Removed: In addition to providing third-party
−Removed: verification of reductions for regulatory/credit purposes, the same data can also be used to support the claims of a USDA-certified
−Removed: sustainable branding.
−Removed: Bion’s waste treatment solutions are
−Removed: scalable, proven in commercial operations (2G Tech) and the verified results have been accepted by EPA (for use as a “qualified
−Removed: offset”), USDA and other regulatory agencies.
+Added: appropriate for the Company’s business.
+Added: While the Company may implement some 3G Tech systems on a contractual basis, our business
+Added: does not primarily involve sale of our systems or long term direct operations/management of our systems.
+Added: The discussion below should be
+Added: read in the context this business focus (described in detail above and below).
+Added: Bion has invested over $100 million in its business
+Added: since 1989, much of which has been expended development of its technologies and technology platform, policy change initiatives and other
+Added: Our 2G Tech (now supplanted by our 3G Tech) was proven at commercial scale and was been reviewed and qualified for federal
+Added: loan guarantees under USDA’s Technical Assessment program.
+Added: The 2G Tech platform (as will our 3G Tech going forward) provided verified
+Added: nutrient credits from wet livestock waste (dairy, beef, and swine) that can be used to offset US EPA-mandated TMDL requirements.
+Added: intends to implement its first 3G Tech systems during the current 2022 fiscal year.
+Added: Our 3G Tech and 3G Tech platform provide the basis
+Added: for our planned JVs and Projects and therefore constitute our ‘principal products’.
+Added: Each Bion system (whether prior 2G Tech or current
+Added: 3G Tech) is comprised of several process units combined in a ‘process train’, much like a municipal wastewater treatment plant.
+Added: The platform utilizes a combination of mechanical, biological, and thermal processes and can be configured in a variety of ways, based
+Added: on the needs and economics of the location, to provide the level of environmental treatment required, while separating and aggregating
+Added: the various components of the waste stream for processing and recovery.
+Added: A key attribute of the Bion platform is that the performance of
+Added: the systems can be measured, quantified and verified through a proprietary data collection system, providing a level of oversight and
+Added: verification similar to waste water treatment facilities.
+Added: In addition to providing third-party verification of reductions for regulatory/credit
+Added: purposes, the same data can also be used to support the claims of a USDA-certified sustainable branding.
+Added: Bion’s waste treatment solutions are scalable,
+Added: proven in commercial operations (2G Tech) and the verified results have been accepted by EPA (for use as a “qualified offset”),
+Added: USDA and other regulatory agencies.
Bion’s core processes are protected by nine U.S.
−Removed: patents and six international
−Removed: patents, with additional applications pending in the US, EU, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Australia.
−Removed: We do not know
−Removed: of any other cost-effective technology that provides Bion system’s level of treatment of livestock waste:
−Removed: dairy, beef, poultry
−Removed: Note that while revenues from Bion’s 2G platform were 90 percent dependent on developing markets for nutrient
−Removed: reductions, our 3G Tech systems will generate revenues from multiple co-product streams to supplement revenues from nutrient reductions.
−Removed: Bion’s 3G Tech platform has been developed
−Removed: over the past four years to maximize co-product recovery values from large scale facilities (or multiple modular facilities) while
−Removed: maintaining/improving the level of environmental remediation produced by our 2G systems.
−Removed: The 3G systems will recover nitrogen from
−Removed: the CAFO waste stream for production of nitrogen-rich fertilizer products that Bion believes will qualify for certification for
−Removed: use in growing organic crops (the first approval was received during the 2020 fiscal year) for livestock and human.
−Removed: 3G Tech platform will recover methane that can be conditioned to pipeline quality and will qualify for various credits and subsidies
−Removed: as clean, renewable natural gas.
−Removed: These two revenue streams will supplement revenues from nutrient reduction credits and USDA-certified
−Removed: PVP sustainable branding.
−Removed: Building upon our 2G Tech and Bion's over 20
−Removed: years of experience providing waste treatment services to the livestock industry, commencing with our first generation technology
−Removed: applications, the Company is pursuing the Retrofit opportunity related to environmental remediation of existing CAFOs.
−Removed: technology has evolved and been upgraded over the decades to meet changing standards and requirements.
−Removed: While Bion's 3G Tech
−Removed: platforms creates potentially profitable business opportunities to provide waste treatment services and systems and/or renewable
−Removed: energy production capability to existing large livestock operations (of which there are many), and potentially to smaller facilities
−Removed: through aggregation of waste streams.
−Removed: this is not our primary focus.
−Removed: Candidates for these solutions include individual CAFO
−Removed: facilities that face impending regulatory action, CAFOs that wish to expand or relocate, and operations located in regions that
−Removed: suffer severe and immediate environmental issues, such as the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Great Lakes region and/or the San Joaquin
−Removed: Valley, where financial incentives (such as nutrient reduction credit trading programs) are (or may become) available that encourage
−Removed: voluntary reductions of nutrient releases and/or atmospheric emissions from agricultural sources.
−Removed: Pennsylvania and Chesapeake Bay Initiatives
+Added: patents and six international patents, with
+Added: additional applications pending in the US, EU, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Australia.
+Added: We do not know of any other cost-effective
+Added: technology that provides Bion system’s level of treatment of livestock waste:
+Added: dairy, beef, poultry and swine.
+Added: Note that while revenues
+Added: from Bion’s 2G platform were 90 percent dependent on developing markets for nutrient reductions, our 3G Tech systems will generate
+Added: revenues from multiple co-product streams to supplement revenues from nutrient reductions.
+Added: Bion’s 3G Tech platform has been developed over
+Added: the past six years to maximize co-product recovery values from large scale facilities (or multiple modular facilities) while maintaining/improving
+Added: the level of environmental remediation produced by our 2G systems.
+Added: The 3G systems will recover nitrogen from the CAFO waste stream for
+Added: production of nitrogen-rich fertilizer products that Bion believes will qualify for certification for use in growing organic crops (the
+Added: first approval was received during the 2020 fiscal year) for livestock and human.
+Added: Further, the 3G Tech platform will recover methane that
+Added: can be conditioned to pipeline quality and will qualify for various credits and subsidies as clean, renewable natural gas.
+Added: two revenue streams will supplement revenues from nutrient reduction credits and USDA PVP -certified sustainable branding.
+Added: Building upon our 2G Tech and Bion's over 20 years
+Added: of experience providing waste treatment services to the livestock industry, commencing with our first generation technology applications,
+Added: the Company is pursuing the Retrofit opportunity related to environmental remediation of existing CAFOs.
+Added: Our technology has evolved
+Added: and been upgraded over the decades to meet changing standards and requirements.
+Added: Bion's 3G Tech platform creates potentially profitable
+Added: business opportunities to provide waste treatment services and systems and/or renewable energy production capability to existing large
+Added: livestock operations (of which there are many), and potentially to smaller facilities through aggregation of waste streams.
+Added: However, this
+Added: is not our primary focus.
+Added: Candidates for these solutions include individual CAFO facilities that face impending regulatory action,
+Added: CAFOs that wish to expand or relocate, and operations located in regions that suffer severe and immediate environmental issues, such as
+Added: the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Great Lakes region and/or the San Joaquin Valley, where financial incentives (such as nutrient reduction
+Added: credit trading programs) are (or may become) available that encourage voluntary reductions of nutrient releases and/or atmospheric emissions
+Added: from agricultural sources.
+Added: Sustainable/Organic Corn-Fed Beef Opportunity
+Added: The Company believes that one of its major opportunities
+Added: will be in JVs to pursue the Sustainable Beef Opportunity and the Sustainable/Organic Corn-Fed Beef Opportunity in the Midwest as discussed
+Added: at some length above.
+Added: It is the Company’s current intention to initiate several JVs pursuing this opportunity as developer of, technology
+Added: provider to, and direct participant.
+Added: See discussion above.
+Added: It is not possible at this time to firmly predict
+Added: where the initial JVs and/or Project will be developed or the order in which JVs and Projects will be developed.
+Added: All potential JVs and/or
+Added: Projects are in very early pre-development stages and may never progress to actual development or may be developed after other JVs and/or
+Added: Projects not yet under active consideration.
+Added: The Company's successful accomplishment of its
+Added: business activities is dependent upon many factors (see 'Forward-Looking Statements' above) including without limitation the following,
+Added: none of which can be assured at this date:
+Added: Successful development and completion of the first 3G Tech Project(s) to demonstrate the
+Added: commercial economics of its 3G Tech platform;
+Added: Successful development of the first Integrated Project to demonstrate the operation of a
+Added: fully-integrated, environmentally-compliant Integrated Project at a profitable level;
+Added: Establishment of a substantial and liquid market for nutrient reductions and other environmental
+Added: attributes generated from the Company’s future facilities;
+Added: Establishment of marketing relationships needed for realization of full value from the saleable
+Added: co-products including sustainable and organic meat products and organic nitrogen fertilizer products;
+Added: Successful completion of organic certifications and USDA PVP-certified sustainable brand
+Added: Our ability to raise sufficient funds to allow us to finance our activities, JV’s,
+Added: and Projects;
+Added: Regulatory and enforcement policies at the Federal, State and local levels.
+Added: Kreider Poultry Joint Venture and Pennsylvania
+Added: and Chesapeake Bay Initiatives
The Kreider 1 2G Tech dairy system in Pennsylvania
in the Chesapeake Bay watershed represented the Company's first Retrofit in this market segment.
−Removed: This Retrofit installation was
−Removed: designed and intended primarily to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus releases and ammonia emissions from the dairy waste streams to
−Removed: generate tradable nutrient reduction credits as part of a nutrient credit trading program through the PA Department of Environmental
−Removed: Protection (‘PADEP’).
−Removed: While this project has not been (and most likely will not be) a commercial success on a stand-alone
−Removed: basis (due to PA’s failure to implement a viable long-term credit trading market), it has demonstrated that Bion’s
−Removed: manure treatment technology can generate low-cost verified credits, providing the basis of a 2013 PA Legislative Budget and Finance
−Removed: Committee report (updated in 2018) that supports the use of manure technologies to provide low-cost alternatives to meet Bay mandates.
−Removed: It is likely that the Kreider 2 poultry waste
−Removed: treatment Project, which is in its early development and pre-permitting phase, will be one of our first large scale JV Projects.
−Removed: The Kreider 2 Project will utilize our 3G Tech platform to treat the waste stream from Kreider Farm’s large poultry operations
−Removed: (possibly together with waste from other nearby poultry operations and/or other waste streams) (and the dairy waste stream previously
−Removed: treated in the Kreider 1 system) to generate renewable energy, marketable nutrient reduction credits and co-products (including
−Removed: nitrogen in organic and/or non-organic forms).
−Removed: It is targeted to treat the waste stream from approximately 9 million birds, in
−Removed: modules, when fully developed.
−Removed: Estimated capital costs (‘capex’) are currently in the $60 million range (with the caveat
−Removed: that no site has yet been chosen, technology development is not complete and the final design work has not yet begun) and has the
−Removed: potential to generate gross revenues of up to $50 million annually from the multiple revenue streams based on current projected
−Removed: yields and prices, none of which are assured.
−Removed: Note that tech and system design work is continuing and the Company anticipates reduce
−Removed: reductions of both capex and operating costs.
+Added: This Retrofit installation was designed
+Added: and intended primarily to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus releases and ammonia emissions from the dairy waste streams to generate tradable
+Added: nutrient reduction credits as part of a nutrient credit trading program through the PA Department of Environmental Protection (‘PADEP’).
+Added: While this project has not been (and most likely will not be) a commercial success on a stand-alone basis (due to PA’s failure to
+Added: implement a viable long-term credit trading market), it has demonstrated that Bion’s manure treatment technology can generate low-cost
+Added: verified credits, providing the basis of a 2013 PA Legislative Budget and Finance Committee report (updated in 2018) that supports the
+Added: use of manure technologies to provide low-cost alternatives to meet Bay mandates.
+Added: It is possible that the Kreider 2 poultry waste treatment
+Added: Project, which is in its early development and pre-permitting phase, will be one of our first large scale JV Projects if a workable market
+Added: for nutrient reduction credits develops in PA, of which there is no assurance.
+Added: The Kreider 2 Project will utilize our 3G Tech platform
+Added: to treat the waste stream from Kreider Farm’s large poultry operations (possibly together with waste from other nearby poultry operations
+Added: and/or other waste streams) (and the dairy waste stream previously treated in the Kreider 1 system) to generate renewable energy, marketable
+Added: nutrient reduction credits and co-products (including nitrogen in organic and/or non-organic forms).
+Added: It is targeted to treat the waste
+Added: stream from approximately 9 million birds, in modules, when fully developed.
+Added: Estimated capital costs (‘capex’) are currently
+Added: in the $60 million range (with the caveat that no site has yet been chosen, technology development is not complete and the final design
+Added: work has not yet begun) and has the potential to generate gross revenues of up to $50 million annually from the multiple revenue streams
+Added: based on current projected yields and prices, none of which are assured.
+Added: Note that tech and system design work is continuing and the Company
+Added: anticipates reduce reductions of both capex and operating costs.
To complete and operate the Kreider 2 project,
substantial capital (equity and/or debt) has been and will continue to be expended.
−Removed: Additional funds will potentially be
−Removed: needed to be expended so that the Kreider 1 system and the Pennvest Loan (see below) situation can be resolved, of which there
−Removed: is no assurance.
−Removed: The Kreider 1 system was developed to earn revenue primarily from the sale of nutrient reduction (and/or other)
−Removed: environmental credits.
−Removed: In contrast, upon successful construction and operation, the Company anticipates that the Kreider 2
−Removed: Project will earn revenue from the sale of nutrient reduction (and/or other) environmental credits generated by its 3G Tech
−Removed: system and through sales of renewable energy and co-products (fertilizer nutrients and soil amendment products in organic
−Removed: and/or non-organic forms and/or renewable energy and environmental credits) recovered.
−Removed: To date the market for long-term nutrient
−Removed: reduction Credits in Pennsylvania has been very slow to develop and the Company’s activities have been negatively affected
−Removed: by such lack of development.
−Removed: However, Bion is confident that once these markets are established, the Credits it produces
−Removed: will be competitive in the credit trading markets, based on its cost to remove nitrogen from the livestock waste stream, compared
−Removed: to the cost to remove nitrogen through various other treatment activities.
−Removed: Several independent studies have calculated
−Removed: the average cost to remove nitrogen through various sector practices.
−Removed: Reports prepared for the PA Senate (2008), Chesapeake Bay
−Removed: Commission (2012) and PA legislature (2013;
−Removed: described below), as well as the Maryland Chesapeake Bay Financing Strategy Report
−Removed: (2015), demonstrate that the cost to remove nitrogen (per pound on average) from agriculture is $44 to $54, municipal wastewater:
+Added: Additional funds will potentially be needed
+Added: to be expended so that the Kreider 1 system and the Pennvest Loan (see below) situation can be resolved, of which there is no assurance.
+Added: The Kreider 1 system was developed to earn revenue primarily from the sale of nutrient reduction (and/or other) environmental credits.
+Added: contrast, upon successful construction and operation, the Company anticipates that the Kreider 2 Project will earn revenue from the
+Added: sale of nutrient reduction (and/or other) environmental credits generated by its 3G Tech system and through sales of renewable energy
+Added: and co-products (fertilizer nutrients and soil amendment products in organic and/or non-organic forms and/or renewable energy and environmental
+Added: credits) recovered and sustainably branded products as discussed above.
+Added: To date the market for long-term nutrient reduction
+Added: Credits in Pennsylvania has been very slow to develop and the Company’s activities have been negatively affected by such lack of
+Added: However, Bion is confident that if and when these markets are established, the Credits it produces will be competitive
+Added: in the credit trading markets, based on its cost to remove nitrogen from the livestock waste stream, compared to the cost to remove nitrogen
+Added: through various other treatment activities.
+Added: Several independent studies have calculated the average
+Added: cost to remove nitrogen through various sector practices.
+Added: Reports prepared for the PA Senate (2008), Chesapeake Bay Commission (2012)
+Added: and PA legislature (2013;
+Added: described below), as well as the Maryland Chesapeake Bay Financing Strategy Report (2015), demonstrate that
+Added: the cost to remove nitrogen (per pound on average) from agriculture is $44 to $54, municipal wastewater:
$28 to $43, and storm water:
$386 to $633.
−Removed: Pursuant to the PA legislative study, by replacing sector allocation (for all sectors)
−Removed: with competitive bidding, up to 80 percent savings could be achieved in PA’s Chesapeake Bay compliance costs ($1.5 billion
−Removed: annually) by 2025.
−Removed: If the legislative study had focused on the cost differentials of competitive bidding compared only with storm
−Removed: water, the relative savings would be substantially greater.
−Removed: Since these studies were completed, most of
−Removed: the larger (Tier 1) municipal wastewater treatment plants in PA have been upgraded, at a cost of approximately $2.5 billion (vs
−Removed: initial 2004 PA DEP cost estimates of $376 million).
−Removed: US EPA is now focused on PA’s storm water allocation (3.5 million pounds)
−Removed: and has this sector on ‘backstop level actions’, the highest level of EPA-oversight and the final step before sanctions.
−Removed: In the same 2004 PA DEP cost estimate that led to the more than a $2 billion underestimate/miscalculation in municipal wastewater
−Removed: plant upgrade costs, the estimate for storm water cost was $5.6 billion.
−Removed: In April 2017, US EPA sent a Letter of Expectation to
−Removed: PA DEP, expressing the agency’s support for the use of nutrient credit trading and competitive bidding to engage the private-sector
−Removed: to lower costs.
−Removed: The letter specifically encouraged the use of credit trading to offset the state’s looming storm water obligations.
−Removed: Bion anticipates that it will be able to
−Removed: profitably sell nutrient credits generated at the the Kreider 2 facilities (and subsequent projects) if prices are in the
−Removed: range of $8-$12 (or higher) per lb.
+Added: Pursuant to the PA legislative study, by replacing sector allocation (for all sectors) with competitive bidding, up to 80
+Added: percent savings could be achieved in PA’s Chesapeake Bay compliance costs ($1.5 billion annually) by 2025.
+Added: If the legislative study
+Added: had focused on the cost differentials of competitive bidding compared only with storm water, the relative savings would be substantially
+Added: Since these studies were completed, most of the larger
+Added: (Tier 1) municipal wastewater treatment plants in PA have been upgraded, at a cost of approximately $2.5 billion (vs initial 2004 PA DEP
+Added: cost estimates of $376 million).
+Added: US EPA is now focused on PA’s storm water allocation (3.5 million pounds) and has this sector on
+Added: ‘backstop level actions’, the highest level of EPA-oversight and the final step before sanctions.
+Added: In the same 2004 PA DEP
+Added: cost estimate that led to the more than a $2 billion underestimate/miscalculation in municipal wastewater plant upgrade costs, the estimate
+Added: for storm water cost was $5.6 billion.
+Added: In April 2017, US EPA sent a Letter of Expectation to PA DEP, expressing the agency’s support
+Added: for the use of nutrient credit trading and competitive bidding to engage the private-sector to lower costs.
+Added: The letter specifically encouraged
+Added: the use of credit trading to offset the state’s looming storm water obligations.
+Added: Bion anticipates that it will be able to profitably
+Added: sell nutrient credits generated at the Kreider 2 facilities (and subsequent projects) if prices are in the range of $6-$12 (or higher)
of nitrogen reduction under long-term contracts, of which there is no assurance.
−Removed: believes that with the studies and information now available to other states that are (or will shortly be) facing these same decisions,
−Removed: a cost-benefit analysis will make it clear from the outset that competitive bidding for nutrient reduction credits from alternative
−Removed: approaches can provide dramatically lower-cost solutions than traditional strategies.
−Removed: The Company anticipates that the Kreider 2
−Removed: poultry waste treatment facility in PA will be one of its initial 3G Tech Projects.
−Removed: Bion intends that it will select a site for
−Removed: the Kreider 2 Project and/or its initial Integrated Project (and possibly additional Projects) after PA adopts a competitively-bid
−Removed: nutrient reduction Credit purchase program (see discussion above and below).
−Removed: Sustainable/Organic Corn-Fed Beef Opportunity
−Removed: The Company believes that one of its major
−Removed: opportunities will be in JVs to pursue the Sustainable/Organic Corn-Fed Beef Opportunity in the Midwest as discussed at some length
−Removed: It is the Company’s current intention to initiate several JVs pursuing this opportunity as developer of, technology
−Removed: provider to, and direct participant.
−Removed: See discussion above.
−Removed: It is not possible at this time to firmly
−Removed: predict where the initial JVs and/or Project will be developed or the order in which JVs and Projects will be developed.
−Removed: All potential
−Removed: JVs and/or Projects are in very early pre-development stages and may never progress to actual development or may be developed after
−Removed: other JVs and/or Projects not yet under active consideration.
−Removed: The Company's successful accomplishment
−Removed: of its business activities is dependent upon many factors (see 'Forward-Looking Statements' above) including without limitation
−Removed: the following, none of which can be assured at this date:
−Removed: Successful development and completion of
−Removed: the first 3G Tech Project(s) to demonstrate the commercial economics of its 3G Tech platform;
−Removed: Successful development of the first Integrated
−Removed: Project to demonstrate the operation of a fully-integrated, environmentally-compliant Integrated Project at a profitable level;
−Removed: Establishment of a substantial and liquid
−Removed: market for nutrient reductions generated from the Company’s present and future facilities;
−Removed: Establishment of marketing relationships
−Removed: needed for realization of full value from the saleable co-products including organic nitrogen fertilizer products;
−Removed: Successful completion of organic certifications
−Removed: and USDA-certified sustainable brand ;
−Removed: Our ability to raise sufficient funds to
−Removed: allow us to finance our activities, Retrofits and Projects;
−Removed: Regulatory and enforcement policies at the
−Removed: Federal, State and local levels.
−Removed: CAFO INDUSTRY:
−Removed: PROBLEM AND OPPORTUNITY
−Removed: (according to the USDA’s
−Removed: 2017 agricultural census) there are over 9M dairy cows, 90M beef cattle, 60M swine and more than 2 billion poultry which provides
−Removed: an indication of both the scope of the problem addressed by Bion’s technology, as well as the size of the opportunity.
−Removed: Environmental
−Removed: impacts from livestock production include surface and groundwater pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution,
−Removed: excess water use and pathogens related to foodborne illnesses and antibiotic resistance.
−Removed: The greatest impacts come from the manure
−Removed: Estimates of total annual U.S.
−Removed: livestock manure waste vary widely, but start around a billion tons, between 100 and 130
−Removed: times greater than human waste.
−Removed: However, while human waste is generally treated by septic or municipal wastewater plants, livestock
−Removed: waste –
−Removed: raw manure –
−Removed: is spread on our nation’s croplands for its fertilizer value.
−Removed: More than half of U.S.
−Removed: production is fertilized in this manner.
−Removed: Runoff from livestock waste has been identified as one of the largest sources of excess
−Removed: nutrients in most major watersheds.
−Removed: Excess nutrients fuel algae blooms nationwide that are increasingly toxic;
−Removed: dead zones in the
−Removed: Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, and Gulf of Mexico;
−Removed: and nitrate-contaminated drinking water in a growing number of states including
−Removed: Pennsylvania, California, Wisconsin, Washington and other states.
−Removed: US EPA considers excess nutrients “one of America’s
−Removed: most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems”.
−Removed: Nutrient runoff is expected to worsen with rising temperatures
−Removed: and increasing rainstorm intensity resulting from climate change.
−Removed: More than half of the nitrogen nutrient impacts
−Removed: from livestock come from ammonia emissions from the waste.
−Removed: Nitrogen in the form of ammonia is extremely volatile, reactive and
−Removed: When airborne ammonia/ nitrogen eventually settles back to the ground through atmospheric deposition - it ‘rains’
−Removed: Most of this nitrogen enters surface and groundwater.
−Removed: In the context of groundwater aquifers, it can contaminate drinking
−Removed: water sources.
−Removed: It is now well-established that most of the voluntary conservation practices (often referred to as “BMPs”
−Removed: or “Best Management Practices”) that have traditionally been implemented to attempt to mitigate nutrient runoff are
−Removed: considerably less effective than previously was believed to be the case.
−Removed: This is especially the case with regard to addressing
−Removed: mobile ammonia emissions because such BMPs are primarily focused on surface water runoff, directly from farm fields in current
−Removed: production, versus the re-deposition that takes place everywhere.
−Removed: Further, groundwater (vs surface water) transports
−Removed: this volatile nitrogen downstream, creating an additional problem, since most of the current conservation practices relied on to
−Removed: reduce agricultural runoff to our lakes and estuaries are bypassed by this subsurface flow.
−Removed: Nitrate-contaminated groundwater is
−Removed: of growing concern in agricultural regions nationwide.
−Removed: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, California and Washington, (and other states) all
−Removed: now have regions where groundwater nitrate levels exceed EPA standards for safe drinking water.
−Removed: Additionally, in arid climates,
−Removed: such as California, airborne ammonia emissions from livestock manure contribute to air pollution as a precursor to PM2.5 formation,
−Removed: small inhalable particulate matter that is a regulated air pollutant with significant public health risks.
−Removed: Whether airborne or
−Removed: dissolved in water, ammonia can only be cost-effectively controlled and treated at the source-- before it has a chance to escape
−Removed: into the environment where it becomes extremely expensive to ‘chase’
−Removed: Nutrients from livestock waste runoff fuel
−Removed: downstream toxic algae blooms and dead zones in the Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Florida Bay, and many other estuaries, as well
−Removed: as the Great Lakes.
−Removed: Excess nutrient runoff also impacts local- and fresh-water resources, producing algae blooms in lakes and rivers
−Removed: and contaminating underground aquifers that supply drinking water.
−Removed: The impacts of livestock production on public health and the
−Removed: environment are coming under increasing scrutiny from environmental groups and health organizations, regulatory agencies and the
−Removed: courts, the media, consumers and activist institutional investors.
−Removed: Over the last several decades the livestock
−Removed: industry ‘specialized’, essentially decoupling from crop farming, and began developing increasingly larger facilities,
−Removed: which are often in close proximity, to improve production efficiencies.
−Removed: CAFOs are now responsible for 70-80% of U.S.
−Removed: animal protein
−Removed: The unintended consequence of increased scale, together with concentration in certain geographies, has been to overwhelm
−Removed: nature’s ability to absorb nutrients and mitigate other impacts from animal waste.
−Removed: Nutrients from livestock waste enter the environment
−Removed: primarily through direct runoff (after ground application) or atmospheric deposition of nitrogen from ammonia emissions, after
−Removed: which they contaminate groundwater and surface waters.
−Removed: Livestock waste has now been acknowledged as one of the largest sources
−Removed: of excess nutrients that cause toxic algal blooms and dead zones in our waters, in addition to being a large source of greenhouse
−Removed: gases and ammonia, and pathogens that have been linked to food-borne illnesses and antibiotic resistance.
−Removed: A major study, completed
−Removed: in May 2016 by Colorado State University in collaboration with US EPA and the National Park Service, determined that ammonia
−Removed: emissions (from livestock and nitrogen fertilizers) have surpassed NOx emissions (from automobiles and power plants) as the largest
−Removed: source of problem nitrogen cycling from the atmosphere to the biosphere.
−Removed: The same manure that is degrading our environment
−Removed: also represents lost opportunities for the industry.
−Removed: Spreading manure is a tremendous waste of the energy and most of the valuable
−Removed: nutrients it contains.
−Removed: Only about 25 percent of the highly-reactive and mobile nitrogen in manure is available to crops when applied
−Removed: as fertilizer;
−Removed: the rest is lost to runoff and/or volatilization to the atmosphere as ammonia or other gases.
−Removed: Further, in order
−Removed: to achieve the desired level of nitrogen via manure application, phosphorus must be over-applied, which is both wasteful and harmful
−Removed: to soil health and waters to which it migrates.
−Removed: Bion’s technology platform provides direct treatment of the waste stream
−Removed: release to the environment) that separates its various components so that they can then be processed into value-added byproducts,
−Removed: thereby allowing the energy, nitrogen, phosphorus and micronutrients to be utilized independent of each other.
−Removed: The traditional business model for CAFO's,
−Removed: regardless of livestock type, has relied on a combination of:
−Removed: 1) a passive environmental regulatory regime (including exemptions
−Removed: pursuant to certain statutes), and 2) access to a relatively unlimited supply of cheap land and water to serve as the basis for
−Removed: "environmental"
−Removed: treatment of animal waste.
−Removed: Such land and water resources have now become significantly more expensive
−Removed: and, due to climate/weather variations, less reliable.
−Removed: Further, ongoing consolidation of the CAFO industry has produced substantially
−Removed: increased and more concentrated waste streams.
−Removed: At the same time, regulatory scrutiny of, and public concern about, food safety
−Removed: and the health and environmental impacts from CAFO's has intensified greatly as the occurrence of downstream and local impacts
−Removed: has become more commonplace.
−Removed: The production of animal
−Removed: protein (meat and dairy) in the United States (and elsewhere) now faces substantial constraints due to environmental pollution
−Removed: problems (primarily air and water), public health concerns, resource limitations (land, water and energy), input cost volatility
−Removed: and increases (feed, fuel, etc.), product price volatility and, potentially, weather variability and climate change.
−Removed: Each of these
−Removed: issues negatively affect both the current profit levels and the future activities of the industry as presently structured.
−Removed: Spreading a billion tons of manure annually on fields and crops for fertilizer, is both a tremendous waste of resources and contributes
−Removed: to several widespread and costly environmental and public health impacts.
−Removed: Based on current estimates and practices, the annual
−Removed: environmental remediation costs of the nitrogen impacts from a dairy cow in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to the Chesapeake Bay range
−Removed: from $1,200 to $4,000 (depending on cleanup sector) while generating only $150 to $400 in net income (at current milk prices).
−Removed: Onsite waste treatment such as Bion’s can reduce that nutrient reduction cost by 60-80% (or more) while generating measurable
−Removed: local environmental benefits whose economic value in many cases will exceed the Bay nutrient reduction costs.
−Removed: Bion believes that
−Removed: its technologies (and its technology platform) can not only remediate/mitigate many of these problems, but can also be a catalyst
−Removed: for the substantial relocation, rationalization and modernization that is currently needed by the livestock industry in the U.S.
−Removed: Agricultural runoff (including atmospheric
−Removed: deposition of nitrogen from livestock-related ammonia emissions) is one of the largest water pollution problem in the United States.
−Removed: Agricultural release of nitrogen and phosphorus into rural watersheds negatively impacts water quality and increases remediation
−Removed: costs, not only for local waterways and aquifers, but also for downstream water bodies and urban areas.
−Removed: Over-application of animal
−Removed: waste to cropland has resulted in manure nutrients polluting surface and ground water systems, adversely impacting fresh and salt
−Removed: water quality throughout the country, including the Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico.
−Removed: Clean-up initiatives for the Chesapeake Bay,
−Removed: the Great Lakes and elsewhere are requiring the expenditure of substantial sums of money to reduce excess nutrient pollution and
−Removed: resultant algal blooms.
−Removed: In each such case, agriculture in general--and CAFO's in particular--have been identified among the
−Removed: main contributors of pollution.
−Removed: CAFO's are also recognized as a significant source of harmful air emissions and odors.
−Removed: CAFO's have been identified as the largest contributor to airborne ammonia and other polluting gases in the San Joaquin Valley
−Removed: in California and elsewhere.
−Removed: They are also among the largest contributors to nutrient pollution of the Chesapeake Bay.
−Removed: A substantial volume of the nitrogen released
−Removed: to the atmosphere from CAFOs and their waste streams originates as ammonia and other nitrogen gas emissions, which is subsequently
−Removed: re-deposited to the ground, adding to the nitrogen loading to surface and ground water systems.
−Removed: Ammonia emissions also contribute
−Removed: to the formation of PM2.5, small inhalable particulate matter that is a well-recognized health risk.
−Removed: Further, untreated manure
−Removed: from CAFO’s utilized as fertilizer has been linked to pathogens that cause food-borne illnesses, as well as the spread of
−Removed: antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as MRSA.
−Removed: Bion believes that its patented and proven
−Removed: technologies offer the only comprehensive solution to the environmental impacts of these concentrated livestock waste streams.
−Removed: We believe Bion's technologies can enable animal
−Removed: protein production to take place in a manner which is both economically and environmentally sustainable, because our technology
−Removed: removes nutrients from the waste streams generated by animal operations at the source while it is still concentrated.
−Removed: thereby dramatically reduces releases to water and gaseous atmospheric emissions in a cost-effective manner.
−Removed: The potential
−Removed: resulting herd concentration increase (due to lower pollution) will reduce marginal costs of production for the CAFO’s.
−Removed: unavailable locations close to markets, feed and other needed inputs may become available due to the reduced pollution created
−Removed: by our technology.
−Removed: Also, it results in a core Bion technology platform that can enable substantial integration of environmental
−Removed: treatment, renewable energy and by-product production, and/or animal protein processing operations, and/or biofuel/ethanol production,
−Removed: thereby creating the basis for the Company's Integrated Projects business opportunity.
−Removed: Bion’s 3G Tech platform will provide
−Removed: comprehensive onsite waste treatment and substantially greater value co-product recovery capabilities at very large-scale production
−Removed: facilities (‘Projects’).
−Removed: The 3G Tech platform will recover renewable energy and nitrogen (that can be processed into
−Removed: a high-value natural and/or organic nitrogen fertilizer product), while simultaneously offering cost-effective solutions to several
−Removed: pressing environmental and public health issues.
−Removed: Bion’s 3G Tech Project JV business model
−Removed: is applicable to existing large scale installations (such as the Kreider poultry operations in PA), newly established CAFO complexes,
−Removed: and/or, potentially, ‘central waste processing facilities’
−Removed: that serve multiple geographically-close CAFO facilities,
−Removed: is based on revenue from the sale of 1) financial products generated in the course of Bion’s 3G Tech waste treatment
−Removed: a) nutrient reduction credits, b) renewable energy-related credits and c) other environmental credits;
−Removed: 2) co-products,
−Removed: including a) ammonium bicarbonate fertilizer (liquid and solid crystal), b) other fertilizer/soil amendment products, and 3) renewable
−Removed: natural gas (“RNG”);
−Removed: and 4) revenues from premium pricing/license fees due to sustainable branding.
−Removed: Based on pilot
−Removed: study results over the last 24 months related to the 3G Tech platform (and assuming such pilot results are achievable at commercial
−Removed: scale), Bion’s management currently estimates that in a commercial-scale Bion 3G Tech Project (such as the proposed Kreider
−Removed: 2 poultry waste treatment facilities or a large scale beef project of equivalent size) that there will be four large revenue streams
−Removed: (based on currently projected pricing and yields (of products and/or verified credits), which may vary in the future, each category
−Removed: would contribute between 25%-45% of the gross revenues):
−Removed: sales of verified nutrient
−Removed: reductions (when competitive bidding markets mature);
−Removed: sales of nutrient/soil
−Removed: amendment co-products (which will require building distribution with industry partners, regulatory certifications (including
−Removed: organic certification), field trials and market acceptance);
−Removed: sales of RNG (and related
−Removed: increased livestock sales
−Removed: revenue (premium pricing and/or brand licensing fees) from sustainable branding based on implementation of Bion’s 3G Tech.
−Removed: Assuming that Bion can accomplish the tasks
−Removed: above, we believe that in some fully built-out JV Projects, any two of the above revenue categories may be sufficient to support
−Removed: debt service and operating costs , based upon current estimated CAPEX and OPEX costs, and achieve profitability when three revenue
−Removed: streams can be realized by a particular Project (without consideration of cost savings and/or additional revenue streams potentially
−Removed: available as the result of full integration).
−Removed: There are many risks associated with these
−Removed: projections, but Bion’s management is cautiously optimistic that the challenges will be met as the initial Projects are developed.
−Removed: The Company is involved in ongoing technology
−Removed: development work with regard to:
−Removed: 1) Ammonium Nitrogen Recovery (plus residual soil amendment production)
−Removed: our 3G Tech work, since 2015 Bion has filed patent applications for our processes that recover a natural nitrogen fertilizer product
−Removed: without the use of chemical additives or processes.
−Removed: Two patents have been granted related to our 3G Tech and a Notice of Allowance
−Removed: from the US Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) was recently received regarding a third patent (expected to be issued
−Removed: later in 2020).
−Removed: Organic co-products consist of concentrated ammonia liquid, ammonium bicarbonate crystal solids and residual solids
−Removed: from the evaporation/distillation process utilized to process the discharge from a customized front-end anaerobic digester (See
−Removed: “Patents”).
−Removed: Bion anticipates seeking organic certifications/approvals for its ammonia bicarbonate fertilizer products
−Removed: (first OMRI approval for a low concentration ammonium bicarbonate liquid product was obtained during fiscal year 2020) for use
−Removed: in growing of organic feed crops and/or organic food.
−Removed: The solid fertilizer product is intended to contain 12 to 16 percent
−Removed: nitrogen in a solid crystalline form that is water soluble and provides readily-available nitrogen.
−Removed: It will contain none of the
−Removed: phosphorus, salt, iron and other mineral constituents found in many organic fertilizers and also in the livestock waste stream
−Removed: (which may be separately recovered).
−Removed: Instead, the nitrogen recovered from Bion’s process will be in an industry-standard
−Removed: yet pure form that can be precision-applied to crops using existing practices and is intended to be suited to greenhouse, hydroponic
−Removed: and indoor vertical farming applications.
−Removed: Successful OMRI (and/or other) certifications/approval, if achieved, for the product’s
−Removed: use in organic crop production will provide Bion with access to a higher value market for the product than the synthetic nitrogen
−Removed: The ability to generate concentrated ammonium bicarbonate in large scale and at low cost will potentially open significant
−Removed: opportunities in existing and future unique markets such as corn-fed organic beef, vertical farming and potentially organic cannabis.
−Removed: Both the ammonium bicarbonate and the residual solids will require OMRI (or other institutional) review and approval for their
−Removed: use as certified fertilizer products in organic farming operations.
−Removed: 2) Renewable Energy/Credits
−Removed: Bion’s 3G Tech platform incorporates
−Removed: anaerobic digestion (“AD”) (following pre-treatment) to recover methane from the volatile solids in the CAFO waste
−Removed: At sufficient scale, methane can be cost-effectively conditioned and injected into existing pipelines, resulting in a renewable
−Removed: compressed natural gas.
−Removed: Federal programs to support renewable energy production include a 30 percent Biogas Investment Tax Credit
−Removed: (ITC) for qualifying biogas technologies and the Renewable Fuel Standard program that provides ongoing renewable energy credits
−Removed: for the production and use of renewable transportation fuels.
−Removed: Livestock waste is one of the largest contributors of methane
−Removed: and nitrous oxide emissions, two of the most potent greenhouse gases.
−Removed: Under California’s carbon cap-and-trade program, eligible
−Removed: credits are currently being purchased from dairy farms located anywhere in the U.S.
−Removed: that utilize AD.
−Removed: Bion intends to file an application
−Removed: to include beef manure and poultry layer manure (such as will be processed at Bion’s Kreider 2 poultry waste treatment facility),
−Removed: as an eligible feedstock as part of the development process for JV Projects.
−Removed: 3) Sustainable Branding
−Removed: During December 2015, Bion submitted its branding
−Removed: application to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Services’
−Removed: Process Verified Program (“PVP”) to certify a number
−Removed: of verifiable environmental and public health benefits associated with the application of Bion’s 2G Tech to livestock production
−Removed: facilities utilizing our 2G Tech.
−Removed: The initial application included reductions in both nitrogen and carbon footprint, as well as
−Removed: Licensing Bion’s brand, if approval is received, will allow producers that utilize Bion’s technology to
−Removed: differentiate themselves to consumers who are becoming increasingly more sustainability- and safety-conscious in their food choices.
−Removed: Bion’s Kreider 1 application received initial stage approvals by USDA, pending site-specific audits.
−Removed: We intend to file applications
−Removed: to include the utilization of our 3G Tech as JVs proceed toward development.
−Removed: 4) Nutrient Reductions
−Removed: Public expenditures on clean water from federal,
−Removed: state and local ratepayers are rising rapidly while overall water quality continues to decline.
−Removed: Harmful algal blooms that block
−Removed: sunlight and lead to ‘dead zones’
−Removed: are occur regularly in the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico and many other
−Removed: Toxic algal blooms, like the 2014 Lake Erie bloom that shut down Toledo, Ohio’s water supply for several days,
−Removed: occur with increasing frequency.
−Removed: High nitrate levels in water wells located near livestock production are also increasing.
−Removed: waste has been acknowledged as one of the largest sources of excess nutrients.
−Removed: A task force of EPA and state officials described
−Removed: excess nutrients as having the potential to become “one of the costliest, most difficult environmental problems we face in
−Removed: the 21st century.”
−Removed: In 2010 US EPA established the Chesapeake Bay regulations that require substantial reductions in nutrients
−Removed: and sediment from the six Bay states and Washington, DC.
−Removed: This is the first watershed-wide, multi-state regulation of U.S.
−Removed: Compliance cost estimates vary widely, from $30 to $50 billion.
−Removed: Bion’s technology will capture most of the
−Removed: nutrients from a livestock production facility, providing large-scale nutrient reductions at a fraction of the cost of traditional
−Removed: agricultural or downstream treatment.
−Removed: Bion’s long-term objective
−Removed: is to focus the use of its 3G technology, branding and organic co-product revenues to develop large-scale livestock production
−Removed: JV Projects that consolidate, either by direct ownership or joint venture, the revenues from livestock production and Bion’s
−Removed: platform-related revenue sources.
−Removed: Note that appropriate housing for beef cattle (replacing open feedlots) will represent a significant
−Removed: percentage of the cost in the case of Projects involving beef production and will be required to collect the waste in an efficient
−Removed: manner in order to generate renewable energy and nutrient credits.
−Removed: However, the Company believes the such housing will significantly
−Removed: increase livestock production net income (due to efficiencies in rate of weight gain, improved mortality rates and other documented
−Removed: factors) and that premium pricing of even 5-7% at the wholesale level resulting from a USDA-certified ‘environmentally sustainable’
−Removed: brand will have a dramatic positive impact on the overall economics of production.
−Removed: Further, we project that the potential revenue
−Removed: streams associated with organic co-products and sustainable branding will provide key long-term value opportunities that will drive
−Removed: such Projects.
−Removed: The current Administration’s
−Removed: US EPA and USDA strongly support a market-driven strategy that will engage the private sector to provide innovative solutions to
−Removed: reduce costs.
−Removed: Proposed cuts to federal funding are likely to accelerate movement by the EPA and/or multiple states toward competitive
−Removed: bidding and other lower cost approaches to environmental cleanup.
−Removed: Nutrient reduction credit trading and/or procurement programs
−Removed: are already being evaluated and proposed in many states.
−Removed: They would allow verified reductions from unregulated sources, such as
−Removed: agriculture, to be used to offset federal requirements, in lieu of dramatically higher-cost infrastructure projects, such as municipal
−Removed: wastewater and storm water treatment.
−Removed: Nutrient reductions from Bion’s manure treatment technologies can be verified and achieved
−Removed: at substantially less cost than traditional infrastructure solutions, as well as today’s voluntary agricultural conservation
−Removed: Additionally, treating livestock waste at its source also provides many benefits to the local environment and community
−Removed: that cannot be achieved with downstream treatment.
+Added: Bion further believes that with the studies
+Added: and information now available to other states that are (or will shortly be) facing these same decisions, a cost-benefit analysis will
+Added: make it clear from the outset that competitive bidding for nutrient reduction credits from alternative approaches can provide dramatically
+Added: lower-cost solutions than traditional strategies.
+Added: The Kreider 2 poultry waste treatment facility in
+Added: PA may be one of its initial 3G Tech Projects.
+Added: Bion intends that it will select a site for the Kreider 2 Project and/or its initial Integrated
+Added: Project (and possibly additional Projects) after PA adopts a competitively-bid nutrient reduction Credit purchase program (see discussion
+Added: above and below).
CORPORATE BACKGROUND
−Removed: The Company is a Colorado corporation organized
−Removed: on December 31, 1987.
−Removed: Our principal executive offices are now located at the residence of our Office Manager at 9 East Park Court,
−Removed: Old Bethpage, New York 11804, at which location most of the Company’s physical records and central computer reside.
−Removed: telephone number is 516-586-5643.
−Removed: We have no additional offices at this time as all employees and primary consultants work from
−Removed: their home offices.
+Added: The Company is a Colorado corporation organized on
+Added: December 31, 1987.
+Added: Our principal executive offices are now located at the residence of our Office Manager at 9 East Park Court, Old Bethpage,
+Added: New York 11804, at which location most of the Company’s physical records and central computer reside.
+Added: Our primary telephone number
+Added: is 516-586-5643.
+Added: We have no additional offices at this time as all employees and primary consultants work from their home offices.
HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR BUSINESS
−Removed: Substantially all of our business and operations
−Removed: to date has been conducted through wholly-owned subsidiaries, Bion Technologies, Inc.
+Added: Substantially all of our business and operations to
+Added: date has been conducted through wholly-owned subsidiaries, Bion Technologies, Inc.
(a Colorado corporation organized September 20, 1989),
Bion Integrated Projects Group, Inc.
−Removed: ("Projects Group") (formerly Bion Dairy Corporation through August 2008
−Removed: and originally Bion Municipal, Inc., a Colorado corporation organized July 23, 1999) and Bion Services Group, Inc.
−Removed: ("Services
−Removed: Group") (formerly Bion International, Inc., a Colorado corporation organized July 23, 1999) and BionSoil, Inc.
−Removed: inactive Colorado corporation organized June 3, 1996).
−Removed: Bion is also the parent of Bion PA 1 LLC (a Colorado entity organized
−Removed: August 14, 2008) (“PA1”) and Bion PA 2 LLC (a Colorado entity organized June 24, 2010) (“PA2”).
−Removed: 2002, Bion entered into a series of transactions whereby the Company became a 57.7% (now 58.9%) owner of Centerpoint Corporation
−Removed: (a Delaware corporation organized August 9, 1995) ("Centerpoint").
+Added: ("Projects Group") (formerly Bion Dairy Corporation through August 2008 and originally
+Added: Bion Municipal, Inc., a Colorado corporation organized July 23, 1999) and Bion Services Group, Inc.
+Added: ("Services Group") (formerly
+Added: Bion International, Inc., a Colorado corporation organized July 23, 1999) and BionSoil, Inc.
+Added: (a currently inactive Colorado corporation
+Added: organized June 3, 1996).
+Added: Bion is also the parent of Bion PA 1 LLC (a Colorado entity organized August 14, 2008) (“PA1”),
+Added: Bion PA 2 LLC (a Colorado entity organized June 24, 2010) (“PA2”) and Bion 3G-1, LLC (a Colorado entity organized on September
+Added: In January 2002, Bion entered into a series of transactions whereby the Company became a 57.7% (now 58.9%) owner of Centerpoint
+Added: Corporation (a Delaware corporation organized August 9, 1995) ("Centerpoint").
Although we have been conducting business since 1989,
we determined that we needed to redefine how we could best utilize our technology during 2003.
−Removed: From 2003 through early
−Removed: 2008, we primarily worked on technology improvements and applications and in furtherance of our business model of Integrated Project
−Removed: During 2008 we re-commenced pursuing active commercial transactions involving installation of our 2G Tech for
−Removed: CAFO waste treatment and related environmental remediation and initiation of pre-development modeling and pre-development work
−Removed: to prepare for our initial Integrated Projects.
−Removed: We are now focused JVs based on implementation of our 3G Tech platform (and business
−Removed: model) as discussed above.
−Removed: Our original systems were wastewater treatment
−Removed: systems for dairy farms and food processing plants.
−Removed: The basic design was modified in late 1994 to create Nutrient Management
−Removed: Systems ("NMS") that produced organic soil products as a byproduct of remediation of the waste stream when installed
−Removed: on large dairy or swine farms.
−Removed: Through June 30, 2002, we sold and subsequently installed, in the aggregate, approximately
−Removed: 30 of these first iteration of Bion’s systems in 7 states, of which we believe a few may still in operation in 3 states.
−Removed: We discontinued marketing of our first-generation NMS systems during fiscal year 2002 and turned control and ownership of the first-generation
−Removed: systems over to the farms on which they were installed over the following two years.
−Removed: We were unable to produce a business
−Removed: model based on the first-generation systems that would generate sufficient revenues to create a profitable business.
−Removed: continuing to market and operate the first-generation systems, during the second half of calendar year 2000, we began to focus
−Removed: our activities on developing the next generation of the Bion technology.
−Removed: We no longer operate or own any of the first-generation
−Removed: As a result of our research and development
−Removed: efforts, the core of our current technology was re-developed during fiscal years 2001-2004.
−Removed: We designed and tested Systems
−Removed: that used state-of-the-art, computerized, real-time monitoring and system control with the potential to be remotely accessed for
−Removed: both reporting requirements and control functions.
+Added: From 2003 through early 2008, we
+Added: primarily worked on technology improvements and applications and in furtherance of our business model of Integrated Project development.
+Added: During 2008 we re-commenced pursuing active commercial transactions involving installation of our 2G Tech for CAFO waste treatment and
+Added: related environmental remediation and initiation of pre-development modeling and pre-development work to prepare for our initial Integrated
+Added: We are now focused primarily on development of JVs based on implementation of our 3G Tech platform (and business model) in the
+Added: industry segments discussed above.
+Added: Our original systems were wastewater treatment systems
+Added: for dairy farms and food processing plants.
+Added: The basic design was modified in late 1994 to create Nutrient Management Systems ("NMS")
+Added: that produced organic soil products as a byproduct of remediation of the waste stream when installed on large dairy or swine farms.
+Added: Through June 30, 2002, we sold and subsequently installed, in the aggregate, approximately 30 of these first iteration of Bion’s systems
+Added: in 7 states, of which we believe a few may still in operation in 3 states.
+Added: We discontinued marketing of our first-generation NMS
+Added: systems during fiscal year 2002 and turned control and ownership of the first-generation systems over to the farms on which they were
+Added: installed over the following two years.
+Added: We were unable to produce a business model based on the first-generation systems that would
+Added: generate sufficient revenues to create a profitable business.
+Added: While continuing to market and operate the first-generation systems,
+Added: during the second half of calendar year 2000, we began to focus our activities on developing the next generation of the Bion technology.
+Added: We no longer operate or own any of the first-generation NMS systems.
+Added: As a result of our research and development efforts,
+Added: the core of our current technology was re-developed during fiscal years 2001-2004.
+Added: We designed and tested Systems that used state-of-the-art,
+Added: computerized, real-time monitoring and system control with the potential to be remotely accessed for both reporting requirements and control
These Systems were smaller and faster than our first-generation NMS systems.
−Removed: The initial versions of our second generation of Bion Systems were designed to harvest solids used to produce organic fertilizer
−Removed: and soil amendments or additives (the "BionSoil(R) products") in a few weeks as compared to six to twelve months with
−Removed: our first-generation systems.
−Removed: During 2003-4 we designed, installed and began
−Removed: testing a commercial scale, second generation Bion System as a temporary modification or retrofit to a waste lagoon on a 1,250-milking
−Removed: cow dairy farm in Texas, known as the DeVries Dairy.
−Removed: In December 2004, Bion published an independently peer-reviewed report,
−Removed: a copy of which may be found on our website, www.biontech.com , with data from the DeVries
−Removed: project demonstrating a reduction in nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) of approximately 75% and air emissions of approximately
−Removed: More specifically, those published results indicated that the Bion System produced a 74% reduction of nitrogen and a
−Removed: 79% reduction of phosphorus.
−Removed: The air results show that the Bion System limited emissions from the waste stream as follows:
+Added: The initial versions of our second
+Added: generation of Bion Systems were designed to harvest solids used to produce organic fertilizer and soil amendments or additives (the "BionSoil(R)
+Added: products") in a few weeks as compared to six to twelve months with our first-generation systems.
+Added: During 2003-4 we designed, installed and began testing
+Added: a commercial scale, second generation Bion System as a temporary modification or retrofit to a waste lagoon on a 1,250-milking cow dairy
+Added: farm in Texas, known as the DeVries Dairy.
+Added: In December 2004, Bion published an independently peer-reviewed report, a copy of which
+Added: may be found on our website, www.biontech.com , with data from the DeVries project demonstrating
+Added: a reduction in nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) of approximately 75% and air emissions of approximately 95%.
+Added: More specifically,
+Added: those published results indicated that the Bion System produced a 74% reduction of nitrogen and a 79% reduction of phosphorus.
+Added: air results show that the Bion System limited emissions from the waste stream as follows:
(in pounds per 1,400-pound dairy cow per year):
2 unchanged sentences
Nitrogen Oxides
−Removed: These emissions represented a reduction from
−Removed: published baselines of 95%-99%.
−Removed: Through 2007 the demonstration project at the
−Removed: DeVries Dairy in Texas also provided Bion with the opportunity to explore mechanisms to best separate the processed manure into
−Removed: streams of coarse and fine solids, with the coarse cellulosic solids/biomass supporting generation of renewable energy and the
−Removed: fine solids potentially becoming the basis of organic fertilizer products and/or a high-protein animal feed ingredients.
−Removed: research was also carried out on various aspects of nutrient releases and atmospheric emissions.
−Removed: Bion discontinued operation of the DeVries
−Removed: demonstration research system during 2008.
−Removed: During the 2005-2008 period, Bion focused on
−Removed: completing development of its 2G Tech platform and business model.
−Removed: As such, we did not pursue near term sales and revenue
−Removed: opportunities, such as retrofitting existing CAFO's with interim versions of our waste management solutions, because such efforts
−Removed: would have diverted scarce management and financial resources and negatively impacted our ability to complete development of an
−Removed: integrated technology platform in support of large-scale sustainable Projects.
−Removed: From 2009 through the present period, Bion
−Removed: has actively pursued business opportunities in three broad areas 1) Bion systems to retrofit of existing CAFO’s (some
−Removed: of which may generate verified nutrient credits and revenues from the production of renewable energy and byproducts) (“Retrofits”),
−Removed: and 2) development of new state-of-the-art large scale waste treatment facilities, potentially in conjunction with new CAFOs developed
−Removed: in strategic locations that were not previously possible due to environmental constraints in strategic locations (“Projects”)
−Removed: (some of these may be “closed loop’
−Removed: Integrated Projects that were not previously possible due to environmental constraints
−Removed: as described below), and 3) licensing and/or joint venturing of Bion’s technology (primarily) outside North America.
−Removed: is pursuing these opportunities within the United States and internationally.
−Removed: Launch of our 3G Tech (for use in all these areas)
−Removed: is anticipated during2020/2021.
−Removed: We believe significant Retrofit opportunities
−Removed: exist that will enable us to generate future revenue streams from Bion's 2G and 3G Tech.
−Removed: The initial Retrofit opportunities we
−Removed: are pursuing have related to the existing clean-up program for the Chesapeake Bay ('Chesapeake Bay Program' or 'CB Program').
−Removed: Company has at times deployed some of its limited resources toward an initiative in the Great Lakes/North Central states that has
−Removed: not yet yielded any contracts.
−Removed: The Company anticipates that further opportunities for our remediation/retrofit business will develop
−Removed: in other areas with CAFO’s, including the watersheds of the Great Lakes (from New York to Minnesota), the extended Mississippi
−Removed: River/Gulf of Mexico watershed (including its tributaries from Pennsylvania in the east to Montana/Wyoming/Colorado in the west),
−Removed: and other areas with excess nutrient pollution from agriculture in general and CAFO’s in particular.
−Removed: Over the past 36 months the Company has undertaken
−Removed: research and development efforts to develop the 3G Tech (and related applications) with emphasis on increasing efficiency and increasing
−Removed: recovery of high value by-products (organic and inorganic), which efforts continue during the current fiscal year.
+Added: These emissions represented a reduction from published
+Added: baselines of 95%-99%.
+Added: Through 2007 the demonstration project at the DeVries
+Added: Dairy in Texas also provided Bion with the opportunity to explore mechanisms to best separate the processed manure into streams of coarse
+Added: and fine solids, with the coarse cellulosic solids/biomass supporting generation of renewable energy and the fine solids potentially becoming
+Added: the basis of organic fertilizer products and/or a high-protein animal feed ingredients.
+Added: On-going research was also carried out on various
+Added: aspects of nutrient releases and atmospheric emissions.
+Added: Bion discontinued operation of the DeVries demonstration
+Added: research system during 2008.
+Added: During the 2005-2008 period, Bion focused on completing
+Added: development of its 2G Tech platform and business model.
+Added: As such, we did not pursue near term sales and revenue opportunities, such
+Added: as retrofitting existing CAFO's with interim versions of our waste management solutions, because such efforts would have diverted scarce
+Added: management and financial resources and negatively impacted our ability to complete development of an integrated technology platform in
+Added: support of large-scale sustainable Projects.
+Added: From 2009 through 2015 (when development of our 3G
+Added: Tech platform began), Bion actively pursued business opportunities in three broad areas 1) Bion systems to retrofit of existing
+Added: CAFO’s (some of which may generate verified nutrient credits and revenues from the production of renewable energy and byproducts)
+Added: (“Retrofits”), and 2) development of new state-of-the-art large scale waste treatment facilities, potentially in conjunction
+Added: with new CAFOs developed in strategic locations that were not previously possible due to environmental constraints in strategic locations
+Added: (“Projects”) (some of these may be “closed loop’
+Added: Integrated Projects that were not previously possible due to
+Added: environmental constraints as described below), and 3) licensing and/or joint venturing of Bion’s technology (primarily) outside
+Added: North America.
+Added: Bion is now primarily pursuing JVs related to these opportunities within the United States and internationally based on
+Added: our 3G Tech as described above.
Chesapeake Bay Watershed:
−Removed: Kreider Farms
−Removed: Projects/Pennsylvania Initiatives
−Removed: The urgency and priority of the need to clean
−Removed: up nutrient (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus) pollution to the Chesapeake Bay was clearly demonstrated with promulgation of President
−Removed: Obama's 2009 Executive Order concerning clean-up of the Chesapeake Bay and the EPA’s publication and issuance during December
−Removed: 2010 of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) standard (http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/tmdl/ChesapeakeBay/tmdlexec.html )
+Added: Farms Projects/Pennsylvania Initiatives
+Added: The urgency and priority of the need to clean up nutrient
+Added: (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus) pollution to the Chesapeake Bay was clearly demonstrated with promulgation of President Obama's 2009
+Added: Executive Order concerning clean-up of the Chesapeake Bay and the EPA’s publication and issuance during December 2010 of the Chesapeake
+Added: Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) standard (http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/tmdl/ChesapeakeBay/tmdlexec.html )
for nutrient pollution in Chesapeake Bay tributaries.
−Removed: In May 2010, the EPA published their overall strategy for remediating the
−Removed: Chesapeake Bay, and they have committed to reducing nitrogen and phosphorus flows to the Bay sufficiently to enable 60% of the
−Removed: Bay watershed segments to meet water quality standards by 2025.
−Removed: At that time, 89 of the 92 Bay and tidal watershed segments
−Removed: were not in compliance with water quality standards (97% were out of compliance).
−Removed: The EPA and associated state agencies also
−Removed: committed to short-term 3-year compliance milestones to enhance accountability and corrective actions, along with a host of definable
−Removed: and measurable goals, enhanced partnerships, and major environmental initiatives.
−Removed: Based on these actions, greater compliance
−Removed: has been required commencing with the 2016 ‘water year’.
−Removed: EPA documents defined the overall mission as requiring
−Removed: an approximately 65-million-pound annual reduction from existing nitrogen (N) loading to the Chesapeake Bay by 2025, of which 35
−Removed: million pounds was allocated to Pennsylvania.
−Removed: Importantly, the 3-year compliance milestones were established as a part of the compliance
−Removed: program to add both short- and long-term accountability to state actions associated with reduced nutrient and sediment flows to
−Removed: the Chesapeake Bay.
−Removed: According to the EPA’s Interim Evaluation of Pennsylvania’s Milestone Progress published in June
−Removed: 2015, PA was 14.6 million pounds behind its 2014-2015 milestone commitments for nitrogen, a remarkably large deficit given the
−Removed: previously stated 2-million-pound deficit from the 2012-2013 water year.
−Removed: EPA has placed PA’s agriculture and urban/suburban
−Removed: sectors under a “Backstop Actions Level”, the highest level of EPA oversight.
−Removed: EPA has also stated that if load
−Removed: reductions remain off track, EPA may consider seeking additional (and expensive) pollutant reductions from the wastewater sector.
−Removed: In an effort to get back on track and hold
−Removed: off federal intervention, PA unveiled a purported “comprehensive strategy”
+Added: In May 2010, the EPA published their overall strategy for remediating the Chesapeake
+Added: Bay, and they have committed to reducing nitrogen and phosphorus flows to the Bay sufficiently to enable 60% of the Bay watershed segments
+Added: to meet water quality standards by 2025.
+Added: At that time, 89 of the 92 Bay and tidal watershed segments were not in compliance with
+Added: water quality standards (97% were out of compliance).
+Added: The EPA and associated state agencies also committed to short-term 3-year
+Added: compliance milestones to enhance accountability and corrective actions, along with a host of definable and measurable goals, enhanced
+Added: partnerships, and major environmental initiatives.
+Added: Based on these actions, greater compliance has been required commencing with
+Added: the 2016 ‘water year’.
+Added: EPA documents defined the overall mission as requiring an approximately 65-million-pound annual
+Added: reduction from existing nitrogen (N) loading to the Chesapeake Bay by 2025, of which 35 million pounds was allocated to Pennsylvania.
+Added: Importantly, the 3-year compliance milestones were established as a part of the compliance program to add both short- and long-term accountability
+Added: to state actions associated with reduced nutrient and sediment flows to the Chesapeake Bay.
+Added: According to the EPA’s Interim Evaluation
+Added: of Pennsylvania’s Milestone Progress published in June 2015, PA was 14.6 million pounds behind its 2014-2015 milestone commitments
+Added: for nitrogen, a remarkably large deficit given the previously stated 2-million-pound deficit from the 2012-2013 water year.
+Added: has placed PA’s agriculture and urban/suburban sectors under a “Backstop Actions Level”, the highest level of EPA oversight.
+Added: EPA has also stated that if load reductions remain off track, EPA may consider seeking additional (and expensive) pollutant reductions
+Added: from the wastewater sector.
+Added: In an effort to get back on track and hold off federal
+Added: intervention, PA unveiled a purported “comprehensive strategy”
to "reboot"
the state's efforts to improve water quality in January 2016.
−Removed: The reboot strategy relied upon a mix
−Removed: of enhanced farm compliance and enforcement activities along with the promotion of additional best management practices (BMP).
−Removed: This proposed strategy has been met with skepticism about its efficacy/practicality and resistance within the agricultural community.
−Removed: While many of these reboot efforts are continuing today, the PADEP Secretary resigned in May 2016 and PA appears to have slowed
−Removed: implementation efforts recently while seeking alternative approaches to reduce PA’s nitrogen pollution to the Chesapeake
−Removed: The budget spending package that was passed by the PA legislature in July 2018 contained no new funding for clean water related
−Removed: to either the Chesapeake Bay compliance mandates or state water quality.
−Removed: As a result of PA’s default of its Bay
−Removed: mandates, and the host of upcoming both short and long-term specific commitments and compliance deadlines, Bion believes that its
−Removed: long-term opportunity related to the Chesapeake Bay clean-up has potentially been significantly expanded and accelerated.
−Removed: During 2008, Bion executed an agreement to
−Removed: install a Bion System at the Kreider Farms (“KF”) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to reduce nitrogen (including ammonia
−Removed: emissions which are re-deposited as nitrogen from the atmosphere) and phosphorus in the farm's effluent.
−Removed: Bion undertook this project
−Removed: due, in large part, to Pennsylvania's nutrient credit trading program, which was established to provide cost-effective reductions
−Removed: of the excess flow of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) into the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
−Removed: Bion worked extensively with the Pennsylvania
−Removed: Department of Environmental Protection ('PADEP') over several years to establish nutrient credit calculation/ verification methodologies
−Removed: that were appropriate to Bion's 2G Tech and recognizes its 'multi-media' (both water and atmospheric) approach to nutrient reductions.
−Removed: Pennsylvania's nutrient credit trading program allows for voluntary credit trading between a 'non-point source' (such as a dairy
−Removed: or other agricultural sources) and a 'point source' polluter, such as a municipal waste water treatment plant or a housing development.
−Removed: For example, pursuant to this program, since Bion can reduce the nutrients from an existing dairy much more cost-effectively than
−Removed: a municipal wastewater treatment plant can reduce nutrients to meet its baseline, a municipal facility can purchase nutrient reduction
−Removed: credits (‘Credits’) from Bion to offset its nutrient discharges, rather than spending significantly more money to make
−Removed: (and operate) the plant upgrades necessary to achieve its own reductions.
−Removed: However, the market for long term Credits in PA has
−Removed: failed to develop any significant breadth or depth and no Credits have been sold from the Kreider 1 system.
−Removed: During May 2008, the PADEP approved Bion's
−Removed: initial protocols to determine how many tradable nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) credits Bion would receive for nutrient reductions
−Removed: achieved through installation of its comprehensive dairy waste management 2G Tech Kreider 1 project pursuant to PA's efforts under
−Removed: the Chesapeake Bay Program mandates.
+Added: The reboot strategy relied upon a mix of enhanced farm compliance
+Added: and enforcement activities along with the promotion of additional best management practices (BMP).
+Added: This proposed strategy has been
+Added: met with skepticism about its efficacy/practicality and resistance within the agricultural community.
+Added: While many of these reboot efforts
+Added: are continuing today, the PADEP Secretary resigned in May 2016 and PA appears to have slowed implementation efforts recently while seeking
+Added: alternative approaches to reduce PA’s nitrogen pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.
+Added: The budget spending package that was passed by the
+Added: PA legislature in July 2018 contained no new funding for clean water related to either the Chesapeake Bay compliance mandates or state
+Added: water quality.
+Added: As a result of PA’s default of its Bay mandates,
+Added: and the host of upcoming both short and long-term specific commitments and compliance deadlines, Bion believes that its long-term opportunity
+Added: related to the Chesapeake Bay clean-up has potentially been significantly expanded and accelerated.
+Added: During 2008, Bion executed an agreement to install
+Added: a Bion System at the Kreider Farms (“KF”) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to reduce nitrogen (including ammonia emissions
+Added: which are re-deposited as nitrogen from the atmosphere) and phosphorus in the farm's effluent.
+Added: Bion undertook this project due, in large
+Added: part, to Pennsylvania's nutrient credit trading program, which was established to provide cost-effective reductions of the excess flow
+Added: of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) into the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
+Added: Bion worked extensively with the Pennsylvania Department of
+Added: Environmental Protection ('PADEP') over several years to establish nutrient credit calculation/ verification methodologies that were appropriate
+Added: to Bion's 2G Tech and recognizes its 'multi-media' (both water and atmospheric) approach to nutrient reductions.
+Added: Pennsylvania's
+Added: nutrient credit trading program allows for voluntary credit trading between a 'non-point source' (such as a dairy or other agricultural
+Added: sources) and a 'point source' polluter, such as a municipal waste water treatment plant or a housing development.
+Added: For example, pursuant
+Added: to this program, since Bion can reduce the nutrients from an existing dairy much more cost-effectively than a municipal wastewater treatment
+Added: plant can reduce nutrients to meet its baseline, a municipal facility can purchase nutrient reduction credits (‘Credits’)
+Added: from Bion to offset its nutrient discharges, rather than spending significantly more money to make (and operate) the plant upgrades necessary
+Added: to achieve its own reductions.
+Added: However, the market for long term Credits in PA has failed to develop any significant breadth or depth
+Added: and no Credits have been sold from the Kreider 1 system.
+Added: During May 2008, the PADEP approved Bion's initial
+Added: protocols to determine how many tradable nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) credits Bion would receive for nutrient reductions achieved
+Added: through installation of its comprehensive dairy waste management 2G Tech Kreider 1 project pursuant to PA's efforts under the Chesapeake
+Added: Bay Program mandates.
During April 2010, the PADEP issued an amended certification.
−Removed: The PADEP's approval includes
−Removed: the certification of credits, both for ammonia air emission reductions, and for significantly reducing the leaching and runoff
−Removed: potential of land-applied nutrients.
−Removed: The PADEP has certified the Kreider 1 dairy system for 107 nitrogen and 13 phosphorus credits
−Removed: (each credit represents an annual pound of reduction) for each of the 1,200 dairy cows (subject to testing and verification based
−Removed: on operational data).
−Removed: Bion's agreements with Kreider Farms provide for the Kreider 1 System to expand through-put to treat the
−Removed: waste from the Kreider dairy support herd after the PADEP has verified the operating results.
−Removed: It is anticipated that this expansion
−Removed: will take place and lead to a proportionate increase in credits generated for sale, only if a more robust market for long term
−Removed: nutrient reductions develops.
+Added: The PADEP's approval includes the certification
+Added: of credits, both for ammonia air emission reductions, and for significantly reducing the leaching and runoff potential of land-applied
+Added: The PADEP has certified the Kreider 1 dairy system for 107 nitrogen and 13 phosphorus credits (each credit represents an annual
+Added: pound of reduction) for each of the 1,200 dairy cows (subject to testing and verification based on operational data).
+Added: Bion's agreements
+Added: with Kreider Farms provide for the Kreider 1 System to expand through-put to treat the waste from the Kreider dairy support herd after
+Added: the PADEP has verified the operating results.
+Added: It is anticipated that this expansion will take place and lead to a proportionate increase
+Added: in credits generated for sale, only if a more robust market for long term nutrient reductions develops.
The economics (potential revenues, profitability
−Removed: and continued operation) of the Kreider 1 System were based almost entirely on the long-term sale of nutrient (nitrogen and/or
−Removed: phosphorus) reduction credits to meet the requirements of the Chesapeake Bay environmental clean-up.
+Added: and continued operation) of the Kreider 1 System were based almost entirely on the long-term sale of nutrient (nitrogen and/or phosphorus)
+Added: reduction credits to meet the requirements of the Chesapeake Bay environmental clean-up.
See below for further discussion.
−Removed: Pursuant to the KF agreements, Kreider 1 system
−Removed: to treat KF's dairy waste streams to reduce nutrient releases to the environment, while generating marketable nutrient credits
−Removed: and renewable energy, was designed, constructed and entered full-scale operation during 2011.
−Removed: On January 26, 2009, the Board
−Removed: of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (“Pennvest”) approved a $7.75 million loan to Bion PA 1, LLC
−Removed: (“PA1”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, for the initial Kreider Farms project (“Kreider 1”).
−Removed: After substantial unanticipated delays, on August 12, 2010, PA1 received a permit for construction of the Kreider 1 system.
+Added: Pursuant to the KF agreements, Kreider 1 system to
+Added: treat KF's dairy waste streams to reduce nutrient releases to the environment, while generating marketable nutrient credits and renewable
+Added: energy, was designed, constructed and entered full-scale operation during 2011.
+Added: On January 26, 2009, the Board of the Pennsylvania
+Added: Infrastructure Investment Authority (“Pennvest”) approved a $7.75 million loan to Bion PA 1, LLC (“PA1”), a wholly-owned
+Added: subsidiary of the Company, for the initial Kreider Farms project (“Kreider 1”).
+Added: After substantial unanticipated delays,
+Added: on August 12, 2010, PA1 received a permit for construction of the Kreider 1 system.
Construction activities commenced during November
The closing/settlement of the Pennvest Loan took place on November 3, 2010.
−Removed: PA1 finished the construction of the Kreider 1 System and entered a period of system ‘operational shakedown’
+Added: PA1 finished the construction of the Kreider
+Added: 1 System and entered a period of system ‘operational shakedown’
during May 2011.
−Removed: The Kreider 1 System reached full, stabilized operation by the end of the 2012 fiscal year.
−Removed: 2011, the PADEP re-certified the nutrient credits for this project.
−Removed: The PADEP issued final permits for the Kreider 1 System
−Removed: (including the credit verification plan) on August 1, 2012, on which date the Company deemed that the Kreider System was ‘placed
−Removed: in service’.
−Removed: As a result, PA1 commenced generating nutrient reduction credits for potential sale, while continuing
−Removed: to utilize the Kreider 1 system to test technology improvements and add-ons.
−Removed: However, substantial liquidity in the Pennsylvania
−Removed: nutrient credit market for long term nutrient reduction credits has never developed significant breadth and depth, which limited
−Removed: liquidity/depth has negatively impacted Bion's business plans and has made it impossible to economically monetize the nutrient
−Removed: reductions created by PA1's Kreider 1 project (and Bion's other proposed projects in PA).
−Removed: These difficulties have prevented PA1
−Removed: from generating any material revenues from the Kreider 1 project to date and it is unlikely that PA1 will ever be able to generate
−Removed: such revenues from the Kreider 1 system (as designed and constructed).
+Added: The Kreider 1 System reached full,
+Added: stabilized operation by the end of the 2012 fiscal year.
+Added: During 2011, the PADEP re-certified the nutrient credits for this project.
+Added: The PADEP issued final permits for the Kreider 1 System (including the credit verification plan) on August 1, 2012, on which date the
+Added: Company deemed that the Kreider System was ‘placed in service’.
+Added: As a result, PA1 commenced generating nutrient reduction
+Added: credits for potential sale, while continuing to utilize the Kreider 1 system to test technology improvements and add-ons.
+Added: substantial liquidity in the Pennsylvania nutrient credit market for long term nutrient reduction credits has never developed significant
+Added: breadth and depth, which limited liquidity/depth has negatively impacted Bion's business plans and has made it impossible to economically
+Added: monetize the nutrient reductions created by PA1's Kreider 1 project (and Bion's other proposed projects in PA).
+Added: These difficulties have
+Added: prevented PA1 from generating any material revenues from the Kreider 1 project to date and it is unlikely that PA1 will ever be able to
+Added: generate such revenues from the Kreider 1 system (as designed and constructed).
PA1 had sporadic discussions/negotiations with Pennvest
−Removed: related to forbearance and/or re-structuring its obligations pursuant to the Pennvest Loan for more than three years.
−Removed: In the context
−Removed: of such discussions/negotiations, PA1 elected not to make interest payments to Pennvest on the Pennvest Loan since January 2013.
−Removed: Additionally, PA1 has not made any principal payments, which were to begin in fiscal 2013, and, therefore, the Company has classified
−Removed: the Pennvest Loan as a current liability as of June 30, 2020.
−Removed: Due to the failure of the PA nutrient reduction credit market
−Removed: to develop, the Company determined that the carrying amount of the property and equipment related to the Kreider 1 project exceeded
−Removed: its estimated future undiscounted cash flows based on certain assumptions regarding timing, level and probability of revenues from
−Removed: sales of nutrient reduction credits and, therefore, PA1 and the Company recorded impairments related to the value of the Kreider
−Removed: 1 assets of $1,750,000 and $2,000,000 at June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively.
−Removed: During the 2016 fiscal year, effective
−Removed: June 30, 2016, PA1 and the Company recorded an impairment of $1,684,562 to the value of the Kreider 1 assets which reduced the
−Removed: value on the Company’s books to zero.
−Removed: This impairment reflects management’s judgment that the salvage value of
−Removed: the Kreider 1 assets roughly equaled PA1’s contractual obligations related to the Kreider 1 system, including expenses
−Removed: related to decommissioning of the Kreider 1 system , costs associated with needed capital upgrade expenses, and re-certification/
−Removed: permitting amendments.
−Removed: On September 25, 2014, Pennvest exercised
−Removed: its right to declare the Pennvest Loan in default and accelerated the Pennvest Loan and demanded that PA1 pay $8,137,117 (principal,
−Removed: interest plus late charges) on or before October 24, 2014.
−Removed: PA1 did not make the payment and does not have the resources to make
−Removed: the payments demanded by Pennvest.
−Removed: PA1 commenced discussions and negotiations with Pennvest concerning this matter but Pennvest
−Removed: rejected PA1's proposal made during the fall of 2014.
−Removed: As of the date of this report, no proposals (formal or informal) are under
−Removed: consideration and only sporadic communication has taken place regarding the matters involved over the last 6+ years.
−Removed: possible at this date to predict the outcome of this matter given the extended period which has passed without resolution and that
−Removed: fact that the technology employed in the Kreider 1 system is now outdated.
−Removed: However, the Company believes that a loan modification
−Removed: agreement (coupled with an agreement regarding an update and restart of full operations of KF1) may in the future be possible in
−Removed: conjunction with the Kreider 2 Project described below) may be reached in the future if/when a more robust market for nutrient
−Removed: reductions develops in PA, of which there is no assurance.
−Removed: The Covid-19 pandemic has further increased uncertainties.
−Removed: will continue to evaluate various options with regard to Kreider 1 over the next 6-12 months.
−Removed: The projected economics (potential
+Added: related to forbearance and/or re-structuring its obligations pursuant to the Pennvest Loan for more than seven years.
+Added: In the context of
+Added: such discussions/negotiations, PA1 elected not to make interest payments to Pennvest on the Pennvest Loan since January 2013.
+Added: Additionally,
+Added: PA1 has not made any principal payments, which were to begin in fiscal 2013, and, therefore, the Company has classified the Pennvest Loan
+Added: as a current liability as of June 30, 2021.
+Added: Due to the failure of the PA nutrient reduction credit market to develop, the Company
+Added: determined that the carrying amount of the property and equipment related to the Kreider 1 project exceeded its estimated future undiscounted
+Added: cash flows based on certain assumptions regarding timing, level and probability of revenues from sales of nutrient reduction credits and,
+Added: therefore, PA1 and the Company recorded impairments related to the value of the Kreider 1 assets of $1,750,000 and $2,000,000 at June
+Added: 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively.
+Added: During the 2016 fiscal year, effective June 30, 2016, PA1 and the Company recorded an
+Added: impairment of $1,684,562 to the value of the Kreider 1 assets which reduced the value on the Company’s books to zero.
+Added: impairment reflects management’s judgment that the salvage value of the Kreider 1 assets roughly equaled PA1’s contractual
+Added: obligations related to the Kreider 1 system, including expenses related to the decommissioning of the Kreider 1 system.
+Added: On September 25, 2014, Pennvest exercised its right
+Added: to declare the Pennvest Loan in default and accelerated the Pennvest Loan and demanded that PA1 pay $8,137,117 (principal, interest plus
+Added: late charges) on or before October 24, 2014.
+Added: PA1 did not make the payment and does not have the resources to make the payments demanded
+Added: PA1 commenced discussions and negotiations with Pennvest concerning this matter but Pennvest rejected PA1’s proposal
+Added: made during the fall of 2014.
+Added: PA1 made a new proposal to Pennvest during September 2021 which proposal is presently under consideration
+Added: PA1 provides Pennvest with its financial statements (which include a description of system status) annually.
+Added: During the 2021
+Added: fiscal year, Pennvest’s auditors requested a ‘corrective action plan’
+Added: and PA1 informed Pennvest that “…
+Added: there is no viable corrective action plan for the Pennvest Loan (‘Loan’).
+Added: The facility funded by the Loan has been shut down
+Added: for many years (which has been disclosed in the annual financial reports to Pennvest and in public filings by the parent of Bion PA 1,
+Added: LLC) and the technology utilized in the facility is now obsolete.
+Added: The facility has not been commercially operated for approximately six
+Added: years and has generated zero income.
+Added: We recommend that Pennvest take appropriate steps to remove and sell the equipment.”
+Added: responded favorably to the approach of selling the equipment but no actions have yet taken place.
+Added: PA1 and the Company are currently discussing
+Added: proposals with Pennvest seeking full resolution of these matters.
+Added: The Company anticipates additional communication with Pennvest on this
+Added: matter and the recent proposal during the current year.
+Added: It is not possible at this date to predict the final outcome of this matter, but
+Added: the Company believes it is likely that that the equipment will be sold with the proceeds delivered to Pennvest during our current fiscal
+Added: year as part of a resolution.
+Added: However , the resolution of these matters including the manner and means of such equipment sale has
+Added: not been agreed upon as of this date.
+Added: PA1 will evaluate the appropriate manner to resolve/wrap-up its business over the balance of the
+Added: current fiscal year.
+Added: Note that the projected economics (potential
revenues, profitability and continued operation) of the Kreider 1 System were based almost entirely on the long-term sale of nutrient
(nitrogen and/or phosphorus) reduction credits to meet the requirements of the Chesapeake Bay environmental clean-up.
−Removed: for further discussion.
−Removed: During August 2012, the Company provided
−Removed: Pennvest (and the PADEP) with data demonstrating that the Kreider 1 system met the 'technology guaranty' standards which were incorporated
−Removed: in the Pennvest financing documents and, as a result, the Pennvest Loan is now solely an obligation of PA1.
−Removed: However, the Company’s
−Removed: consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2020 reflects the Pennvest Loan as a liability of $9,585,883 despite the fact that the
−Removed: obligation (if any) solely an obligation of PA 1.
−Removed: The Company is currently not operating
−Removed: the Kreider 1 System but continues to ensure that some equipment maintenance work takes place pending development of a more robust
−Removed: market for its nutrient reductions and/or its potential inclusion within the Kreider 2 Project as discussed above.
−Removed: As a result of the extended period of Kreider
−Removed: 1 full-scale, commercial operations, Bion is confident that future Bion systems can be constructed with even higher operational
−Removed: efficiencies at lower capital expense and with lower operational costs.
−Removed: Operating results of the Kreider 1 system have documented
−Removed: the efficacy of Bion’s nutrient reduction technology and vetted potential ‘add-ons’
−Removed: for future installations.
−Removed: The original Kreider agreements provided for
−Removed: Bion to develop a waste treatment/renewable energy production facility to treat the waste from Kreider's approximately 6+ million
−Removed: chickens (planned to expand to approximately 9-10 million)(and potentially other poultry operations and/or other waste streams)('Kreider
−Removed: Renewable Energy Facility' or ' Kreider 2 Project').
−Removed: On May 5, 2016, the Company executed a stand-alone joint venture agreement
−Removed: with Kreider Farms covering all matters related to development and operation of a system to treat the waste streams from Kreider's
−Removed: poultry facilities in Bion PA2 LLC ("PA2").
−Removed: The Company continues its development work related to the details of the
−Removed: Kreider 2 Project.
−Removed: During May 2011 the PADEP certified Kreider 2 2G Tech Project design for 559,457 nutrient credits under the
−Removed: old EPA's Chesapeake Bay model.
−Removed: The Company anticipates that the 3G Tech Kreider 2 Project will be re-certified for between 2-4
−Removed: million (or more) nutrient reduction credits (for treatment of the waste stream from Kreider's poultry) pursuant to a future reapplication
−Removed: (or subsequent amended application) pursuant to the amended EPA Chesapeake Bay model and 2018 agreements between the EPA and PA.
−Removed: Note that this Project may be expanded in the future to treat wastes from other local and regional CAFOs (poultry and/or dairy
−Removed: including the Kreider Dairy) and/or Kreider poultry expansion (some of which may not qualify for nutrient reduction credits).
−Removed: The review process to clarify certain issues related to credit calculation and verification commenced during 2014 based on Bion’s
−Removed: 2G Tech but has been largely placed on hold while certain matters are resolved between the EPA and PA and pending development of
−Removed: a robust market for nutrient reductions in PA.
−Removed: The Company anticipates it will submit an amended application based on our 3G Technology
−Removed: once these matters are clear.
−Removed: Site specific design and engineering work for this facility, which may be one of the first full-scale
−Removed: projects to utilize Bion's 3G Tech, have not commenced, and the Company does not yet have financing in place for the Kreider 2
−Removed: This opportunity is being pursued through PA2.
−Removed: If there are positive developments related to the market for nutrient reductions
−Removed: in PA, of which there is no assurance, the Company intends to pursue development, design and construction of the Kreider 2 Project
−Removed: with a goal of achieving operational status of its initial modules during the 2021 calendar year, and hopes to enter into agreements
−Removed: related to sales of the nutrient reduction credits for future delivery (under long term contracts) during the 2021 fiscal year
−Removed: subject to verification by the PADEP based on operating data from the Kreider 2 Project.
−Removed: The economics (potential revenues and
−Removed: profitability) of the Kreider 2 Project, despite its use of Bion's 3G Tech for increased recovery of marketable by-products, are
−Removed: based in material part the long-term sale of nutrient (nitrogen and/or phosphorus) reduction credits to meet the requirements of
−Removed: the Chesapeake Bay environmental clean-up.
+Added: See below for further
+Added: During August 2012, the Company provided Pennvest
+Added: (and the PADEP) with data demonstrating that the Kreider 1 system met the 'technology guaranty' standards which were incorporated in the
+Added: Pennvest financing documents and, as a result, the Pennvest Loan is now solely an obligation of PA1.
+Added: However, the Company’s consolidated
+Added: balance sheet as of June 30, 2020 reflects the Pennvest Loan as a liability of $9,585,883 despite the fact that the obligation (if any)
+Added: solely an obligation of PA 1.
+Added: The Company is currently not operating the Kreider
+Added: 1 System but continues to ensure that some equipment maintenance work takes place pending development of a more robust market for its
+Added: nutrient reductions and/or its potential inclusion within the Kreider 2 Project as discussed above.
+Added: The original Kreider agreements provided for Bion
+Added: to develop a waste treatment/renewable energy production facility to treat the waste from Kreider's approximately 6+ million chickens
+Added: (planned to expand to approximately 9-10 million)(and potentially other poultry operations and/or other waste streams)('Kreider Renewable
+Added: Energy Facility' or ' Kreider 2 Project').
+Added: On May 5, 2016, the Company executed a stand-alone joint venture agreement with Kreider Farms
+Added: covering all matters related to development and operation of a system to treat the waste streams from Kreider's poultry facilities in
+Added: Bion PA2 LLC ("PA2").
+Added: The Company continues its development work related to the details of the Kreider 2 Project.
+Added: 2011 the PADEP certified Kreider 2 2G Tech Project design for 559,457 nutrient credits under the old EPA's Chesapeake Bay model.
+Added: anticipates that the 3G Tech Kreider 2 Project will be re-certified for between 2-4 million (or more) nutrient reduction credits (for
+Added: treatment of the waste stream from Kreider's poultry) pursuant to a future reapplication (or subsequent amended application) pursuant
+Added: to the amended EPA Chesapeake Bay model and 2018 agreements between the EPA and PA.
+Added: Note that this Project may be expanded in the future
+Added: to treat wastes from other local and regional CAFOs (poultry and/or dairy –
+Added: including the Kreider Dairy) and/or Kreider poultry
+Added: expansion (some of which may not qualify for nutrient reduction credits).
+Added: The review process to clarify certain issues related to credit
+Added: calculation and verification commenced during 2014 based on Bion’s 2G Tech but has been placed on hold pending development of a
+Added: robust market for nutrient reductions in PA.
+Added: The Company anticipates it will submit an amended application based on our 3G Tech once these
+Added: matters are clear.
+Added: Site specific design and engineering work for this facility, which may be one of the first full-scale projects to utilize
+Added: Bion's 3G Tech, have not commenced, and the Company does not yet have financing in place for the Kreider 2 Project.
+Added: This opportunity is
+Added: being pursued through PA2.
+Added: If there are positive developments related to the market for nutrient reductions in PA, of which there is no
+Added: assurance, the Company intends to re-commence development, design and construction of the Kreider 2 Project thereafter.
+Added: The economics
+Added: (potential revenues and profitability) of the Kreider 2 Project, despite its use of Bion's 3G Tech for increased recovery of marketable
+Added: by-products, are based in material part the long-term sale of nutrient (nitrogen and/or phosphorus) reduction credits to meet the requirements
+Added: of the Chesapeake Bay environmental clean-up.
However, liquidity in the PA nutrient credit market has not developed significant breadth
−Removed: and depth, which lack of liquidity has negatively impacted Bion's business plans and will most likely continue delay PA2's Kreider
−Removed: 2 Project and other proposed projects in PA.
−Removed: Note that Bion believes that the Kreider
−Removed: 2 Project and/or subsequent Bion Projects will eventually generate revenue from the sale of:
−Removed: a) nutrient reductions (credits or
−Removed: in other form), b) renewable energy (and related credits), c) sales of fertilizer products, and/or d) potentially, in time, credits
−Removed: for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, plus e) license fees related to a ‘sustainable brand’.
−Removed: We believe that
−Removed: the potential market is very large, but it is not possible to predict the exact timing and/or magnitude of these potential markets
−Removed: at this time.
−Removed: The Kreider 2 poultry waste treatment
−Removed: facility in PA may be the Company’s initial Project utilizing our 3G Technology.
−Removed: Bion anticipates that it will select a site
−Removed: for the Kreider 2 Project and/or its initial Integrated Project (and possibly additional Projects) during the current fiscal year
−Removed: if SB575 (or a successor) becomes law in PA (including funding).
−Removed: Bion hopes to commence development of this Project by optioning
−Removed: land and beginning the site specific design and permitting process during the current year, but delays are possible.
−Removed: possible at this time to firmly predict where this Project will be developed or the order in which Projects will be developed.
−Removed: All potential Projects are in very early pre-development stages and may never progress to actual development or may be developed
−Removed: after other Projects not yet under active consideration.
−Removed: Several independent studies have calculated
−Removed: the average cost to remove nitrogen through various sector practices.
−Removed: Reports prepared for the PA Senate (2008), Chesapeake Bay
−Removed: Commission (2012) and PA legislature (2013;
−Removed: described below and updated during 2018), as well as the Maryland Chesapeake Bay Financing
−Removed: Strategy Report (2015), demonstrate that the cost to remove nitrogen (per pound on average) from agriculture is $44 to $54, municipal
−Removed: $28 to $43, and storm water:
−Removed: $386 to $633.
−Removed: Pursuant to the PA legislative study, by replacing sector allocation (for
−Removed: all sectors) with competitive bidding, up to 80 percent savings could be achieved in PA’s Chesapeake Bay compliance costs
−Removed: ($1.5 billion annually) by 2025.
−Removed: If the legislative study had focused on the cost differentials of competitive bidding compared
−Removed: only with storm water, the savings would be substantially greater.
−Removed: Since these studies were completed, most of
−Removed: the larger (Tier 1) municipal wastewater treatment plants in PA have been upgraded, at a cost of approximately $2.5 billion (vs
−Removed: initial 2004 PA DEP cost estimates of $376 million).
−Removed: US EPA is now focused on PA’s storm water allocation (3.5 million pounds)
−Removed: and has this sector on ‘backstop level actions’, the highest level of EPA-oversight and the final step before sanctions.
−Removed: In the same 2004 PA DEP cost estimate that led to the more than a $2 billion underestimate/miscalculation in municipal wastewater
−Removed: plant upgrade costs, the estimate for storm water cost was $5.6 billion.
−Removed: In April 2017, US EPA sent a Letter of Expectation to
−Removed: PA DEP, expressing the agency’s support for the use of nutrient credit trading and competitive bidding to engage the private-sector
−Removed: to lower costs.
−Removed: The letter specifically encouraged the use of credit trading to offset the state’s looming storm water obligations.
−Removed: Bion anticipates that it will be able to
−Removed: profitably sell nutrient credits from its Kreider facilities (and subsequent projects) if prices are in the range of $8-$12
−Removed: (or higher) per lb.
−Removed: of nitrogen reduction, of which there is no assurance.
−Removed: Bion further believes that with the studies and
−Removed: information now available to other states that are (or will shortly be) facing these same decisions, a cost-benefit analysis will
−Removed: make it clear from the outset that credits from alternatives can provide dramatically lower-cost solutions than traditional strategies.
−Removed: On January 22, 2013, the Pennsylvania Legislative
−Removed: Budget and Finance Committee (“LBFC”) published a study (“Report”) detailing the economic and environmental
−Removed: benefits that would result from the implementation of a competitively bid, request for proposal (“RFP”) program for
−Removed: nitrogen reductions to fulfill Pennsylvania’s obligations under the US EPA-mandated Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load
−Removed: We agree with and support the basic conclusions and recommendations of the Report.
−Removed: Links to both the full Report and
−Removed: a summary are available on the policy page of Bion’s website at www.biontech.com/policy .
−Removed: The Report demonstrates
−Removed: that implementation of such a RFP program would result in dramatically lower cost compliance with Pennsylvania’s requirements
−Removed: under the CB TMDL and would also provide a host of additional environmental and economic benefits to Pennsylvania’s interior
−Removed: freshwater resources and communities.
−Removed: The Report (which references Bion in numerous
−Removed: places) concluded that:
−Removed: (1) Adoption of the competitively-bid RFP program would reduce Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake
−Removed: Bay nutrient reduction compliance costs by up to 80% through the purchase of verified nitrogen reductions from all public and
−Removed: private sector sources, including technology providers such as Bion.
−Removed: The Report estimates that adoption of a competitive
−Removed: RFP program for nitrogen reductions would result in reducing Pennsylvania’s compliance expenditures from a projected cost
−Removed: of $628M to $110M in 2015 and from $1.7B to $250M in 2025.
−Removed: The Report further concludes that absent the implementation of
−Removed: cost-cutting measures, Pennsylvania’s compliance with the storm water and agricultural reduction mandates in the CB TMDL
−Removed: standard is at risk of default as there is insufficient funding available to comply under today’s existing cost structure.
−Removed: The CB TMDL was established by the US EPA to protect and restore the Bay after decades of decline in water quality and aquatic
−Removed: life due to excess nitrogen from the surrounding watershed.
−Removed: (2) The use of verified nitrogen reductions from agricultural (and primarily livestock)
−Removed: sources to achieve CB TMDL compliance will generate substantial economic and environmental benefits, well beyond the cost savings
−Removed: of the CB TMDL compliance itself.
−Removed: These ancillary benefits are in the form of increased agricultural investments and significant
−Removed: improvements to the State’s local fresh water resources.
−Removed: (3) Adoption would significantly reduce nitrogen and phosphorous impacts to local freshwater
−Removed: resources such as streams, lakes and groundwater, thereby reducing long term freshwater quality compliance costs.
−Removed: reductions would be a by-product of achieving Chesapeake Bay reductions since it requires (on average) the upstream reduction
−Removed: of two to five pounds of nitrogen and as much as twenty pounds of phosphorous to achieve a one pound reduction of these nutrients
−Removed: to the Chesapeake Bay.
−Removed: The long term economic value and environmental benefits to interior freshwater sources could well
−Removed: be greater than the downstream estuary cost savings and benefits.
−Removed: The Report was updated in 2018 to reflect
−Removed: new policies.
−Removed: It now projects savings of up to 95 percent –
−Removed: $340 million in costs versus $6.5 billion.
−Removed: As discussed in the
−Removed: original study, much of the savings were due to low-cost high-impact manure control projects.
−Removed: The Report’s conclusions support
−Removed: adoption of a competitive bidding platform for nitrogen reductions as a cost-effective solution to the high costs facing state
−Removed: and local tax and rate payers.
−Removed: The Report also demonstrates that this strategy would provide tangible environmental, economic,
−Removed: quality of life and health benefits to those upstream rural communities which have shouldered much of the economic cost of downstream
−Removed: nutrient reductions, with little or no benefit to their local communities.
−Removed: 2013, a report was issued by Pennsylvania State University ( https://www.usda.gov/oce/environmental_markets/files/EconomicTradingCBay.pdf )
−Removed: which the PADEP Secretary in 2016 described as the most reliable estimate of the amount of financial resources required to fully
−Removed: implement non-point source best management practices (BMPs) called for in Pennsylvania’s Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP).
−Removed: This report provided two estimates.
−Removed: The first estimate showed a need for $3.6 billion in capital costs to fully implement all non-point
−Removed: source BMPs in the WIP, in incremental levels between 2011 and 2025.
−Removed: The second estimate annualized costs through 2025 and included
−Removed: operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, resulting in a figure of $378.3 million per year.
−Removed: Overall, this 2013 PSU study projected
−Removed: the state would need $378 million per year for 15 years, including O&M totaling $5.6 billion to place in service a sufficient
−Removed: number of designated BMPs to achieve reductions of 24 million pounds of nitrogen annually.
−Removed: The 2013 PSU study was completed
−Removed: prior to guidance issued by US EPA Region 3 in 2014 which was adopted by the PADEP as a requirement for a one-for-three ‘uncertainty
−Removed: factor’
−Removed: be applied to BMPs in PA, since their actual performance is now known to be substantially less than previously modelled.
−Removed: Accounting for the uncertainty factor, PA’s BMP cost estimate per the PSU study would need to be increased to $16.8 billion
−Removed: (three times the $5.6 billion conclusion of the PSU study).
−Removed: A significant portion of Bion’s current
−Removed: activities concern efforts with private and public stakeholders (at local and state level) in PA, (and other Chesapeake Bay, Midwest
−Removed: and Great Lakes states) and at the federal level (EPA and other executive departments and Congress) to establish appropriate public
−Removed: policies which will create regulations and funding mechanisms that foster installation of the low cost, technology-based
−Removed: environmental solutions that Bion (and others) can provide through clean-up of agricultural waste streams.
−Removed: The Coalition for an
−Removed: Affordable Bay Solution (“Coalition”) was formed to support the creation of a competitively-bid nitrogen trading program
−Removed: in Pennsylvania that will enable Pennsylvania to capture the economic benefits outlined in the Report.
−Removed: The Coalition supports legislation
−Removed: to establish a competitively-bid RFP program for nitrogen reductions, where bids will also be ‘scored’
−Removed: to reflect the
−Removed: value of the benefits to PA’s interior waterways and communities.
−Removed: Founding members of the Coalition represent both
−Removed: Chesapeake Bay and national industry participants, and include Bion, JBS, SA, Kreider Farms, and Fair Oaks Farms.
−Removed: The Company believes
−Removed: i) the April 2015 release of a report from the Pennsylvania Auditor General titled “Special Report on the Importance
−Removed: of Meeting Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Reduction Targets”
−Removed: which highlighted the economic consequences of
−Removed: EPA-imposed sanctions if the state fails to meet the 2017 TMDL targets, as well as the need to support using low-cost solutions
−Removed: and technologies as alternatives to higher-cost public infrastructure projects, where possible, and ii) Senate Bill 575 (successor
−Removed: to prior SB 924, SB 724 and SB 799) which, if adopted, will establish a program that will allow the Pennsylvania’s tax- and
−Removed: rate-payers to meet their EPA-mandated Chesapeake Bay pollution reductions at significantly lower cost by purchasing verified reductions
−Removed: (by competitive bidding) from all sources, including those that Bion can produce through livestock waste treatment, represent visible
−Removed: evidence of progress being made on these matters in Pennsylvania.
−Removed: Such legislation, if passed and signed into law, will potentially
−Removed: enable Bion (and others) to compete for public funding on an equal basis with subsidized agricultural ‘best management practices’
−Removed: and public works and storm water authorities.
−Removed: Note, however, that there has been vocal opposition to SB 575 (and its predecessors)
−Removed: from threatened stakeholders committed to the existing status quo approaches--- a significant portion of which was focused on attacking
−Removed: (in often inaccurate and/or vilifying ways) Bion in/through social media and internet articles, blogs, press releases, twitter
−Removed: posts and re-tweets, rather than engaging the substantive issues.
−Removed: If legislation similar to SB 575 is passed and implemented (in
−Removed: something close to its current form), Bion expects that the policies and strategies being developed in PA will not only benefit
−Removed: the Company’s existing and proposed PA projects, but will also subsequently provide the basis for a larger Chesapeake Bay
−Removed: watershed strategy and, thereafter, a national clean water strategy.
−Removed: The Company believes that Pennsylvania is ‘ground
−Removed: in the long-standing clean water battle between agriculture and the further regulation of agriculture relative to nutrient
+Added: and depth, which lack of liquidity has negatively impacted Bion's business plans and will most likely continue delay PA2's Kreider 2 Project
+Added: and other proposed projects in PA.
+Added: The Company believes that Pennsylvania is potentially
+Added: ‘ground zero’
+Added: in the long-standing clean water battle between agriculture and the further regulation of agriculture relative
+Added: to nutrient impacts.
The ability of Bion and other technology providers to achieve verified reductions from agricultural non-point sources
−Removed: can resolve the current stalemate and enable implementation of constructive solutions that benefit all stakeholders, providing
−Removed: a mechanism that ensures that taxpayer funds will be used to achieve the most beneficial result at the lowest cost, regardless
−Removed: All sources, point and non-point, rural and urban, will be able to compete for tax payer-funded nitrogen reductions
−Removed: in a fair and transparent process;
−Removed: and since payment from the tax and rate payers would now be performance-based, these providers
−Removed: will be held financially accountable.
−Removed: We believe that the overwhelming environmental,
−Removed: economic, quality of life and public health benefits to all stakeholders in the watershed, both within and outside of Pennsylvania,
−Removed: make the case for adoption of the strategies outlined in the Report less an issue of ‘if’, but of ‘when and how’.
−Removed: The adoption of a competitive procurement program will have significant positive impact on technology providers that can deliver
−Removed: verified nitrogen reductions such as Bion, by allocating existing tax- and rate-payer clean water funding to low cost solutions
−Removed: based upon a voluntary and transparent procurement process.
−Removed: The Company believes that implementation of a competitively-bid nutrient
−Removed: reduction program to achieve the goals for the Chesapeake Bay watershed can also provide a working policy model and platform for
−Removed: other states to adopt that will enhance their efforts to comply with both current and future requirements for local and federal
−Removed: estuarine watersheds, including the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes Basin and other nutrient-impaired watersheds.
−Removed: Bion estimates that the overall market opportunity
−Removed: for Bion in the Chesapeake Bay watershed is large and of long duration.
−Removed: Most (if not all) of the publicly proposed new (or upgraded)
−Removed: municipal waste water and storm water treatment facilities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in PA, Maryland, Virginia and Washington,
−Removed: DC have projected costs (capital and operating) far in excess of the costs involved in reducing nutrients using Bion’s technology
−Removed: to treat CAFO wastes at the source.
−Removed: While regulatory and enforcement policy is still evolving and, therefore, the impact of those
−Removed: future policies upon Bion's operations cannot be precisely predicted and/or fully quantified, Bion believes that the tremendous
−Removed: difference between its cost to remove nutrients from a concentrated livestock manure waste stream and the cost required for reduction
−Removed: of nutrients from diluted conventional waste water and storm water treatment technologies, makes it reasonable to believe that
−Removed: Bion's potential profitability from projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed should be significant.
−Removed: Based on the aggregate size
−Removed: of livestock operations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Bion believes that the potential market for reductions in nitrogen loadings
−Removed: to the Chesapeake Bay watershed from livestock can be reasonably anticipated to increase tenfold (or more) to total in excess of
−Removed: 75 million (or more) pounds annually (including airborne ammonia) over the next decade, with verified nutrient reductions potentially
−Removed: generated equaling 50% to 60% of that aggregate required nitrogen reduction.
−Removed: Bion hopes that some significant portion of the nutrient
−Removed: reductions related to this clean-up mandate will be made by Bion Systems (which portion cannot be reasonably estimated at this
−Removed: We believe that the credits from the (now dis-continued)
−Removed: Kreider 1 dairy project (verified by the PADEP) represented the first nutrient credits from ‘multi-media’
−Removed: water) reductions from an unregulated, non-point source (livestock) technology-based project to be verified (including ammonia
−Removed: These credits will be equivalent to municipal wastewater treatment plant reductions, once regulatory issues are resolved.
−Removed: Further, we believe this will provide, over time, a basis for credit trading basin-wide throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed
−Removed: (beyond just Pennsylvania where the credits are being generated to the other states and Washington, DC).
−Removed: An established basin-wide
−Removed: trading program will potentially broaden the market for credits from smaller local watersheds to the entire Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
−Removed: Both USEPA and Maryland DNR have expressed support for basin-wide trading for the Bay.
−Removed: Bion has undertaken, and will continue to pursue,
−Removed: work to establish appropriate public policies to facilitate environmental clean-up of CAFOs in the Chesapeake Bay states and at
−Removed: the federal level and in other locales.
−Removed: Bion also believes that it is reasonable to
−Removed: assume that a version of the Chesapeake Bay Program strategies developed by the US EPA and various state regulatory agencies to
−Removed: address the issue of excess nitrogen loadings to the Chesapeake Bay watershed clean-up, will be subsequently applied to deal with
−Removed: the much larger nutrient pollution problems of the Mississippi River Basin that are a primary cause of the 'Dead Zone' in the Gulf
−Removed: of Mexico and similar problems in the Great Lakes and elsewhere.
−Removed: The US EPA has stated the intention that the strategies being
−Removed: developed for the Chesapeake Bay will be utilized in the Mississippi River Basin and other watersheds in the U.S.
−Removed: Note, however,
−Removed: that such an EPA initiative is certain to generate significant political opposition.
−Removed: The Mississippi River Basin alone
−Removed: has been estimated to require more than 1 billion pounds of annual nitrogen reduction to remediate the ‘dead zone’
−Removed: in the Gulf of Mexico.
−Removed: Applying the same metrics as above (Bion’s ability to profitably provide nitrogen reductions at a
−Removed: cost of $8-12 per pound per year compared to municipal wastewater and storm water removal costs of $35 or higher per pound per
−Removed: year), using Bion-type solutions would represent a potential benefit in excess of $25 billion annually to tax- and rate-payers
−Removed: of the 31 Mississippi River Basin states and the federal government.
−Removed: We believe that Bion will potentially have large business
−Removed: opportunities for utilization of its technology as efforts to clean up such polluted areas develop, but at present such opportunities
−Removed: are not quantifiable nor can a definitive timeline be predicted.
+Added: can resolve the current stalemate and enable implementation of constructive solutions that benefit all stakeholders, providing a mechanism
+Added: that ensures that taxpayer funds will be used to achieve the most beneficial result at the lowest cost, regardless of source.
+Added: point and non-point, rural and urban, will be able to compete for tax payer-funded nitrogen reductions in a fair and transparent process;
+Added: and since payment from the tax and rate payers would now be performance-based, these providers will be held financially accountable.
+Added: See the extended additional discussion regarding these
+Added: matters in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2020 and prior years.
RECENT FINANCINGS
−Removed: Sales of Common Stock during 2020 and 2019
−Removed: During the year ended June 30, 2020, the Company
−Removed: sold 3,168,001 shares of its unregistered common stock (not including 29,000 shares issued to entities for services and 143,316
−Removed: shares issued upon conversion of debt).
−Removed: During the year ended June 30, 2020, the Company sold 18,000 units at
−Removed: $0.50 per unit and received gross proceeds of $9,000 and net proceeds of $8,100;
−Removed: each unit consisting of one share
−Removed: of the Company’s restricted common stock and one half warrant to purchase half a share of the Company’s restricted
−Removed: common stock at $0.75 until December 31, 2020.
−Removed: During the year ended June 30, 2020, the Company also sold 2,000,001
−Removed: units at $0.50 per unit, and received gross proceeds of $1,000,000 and net proceeds of $910,500 with each unit consisting of one
−Removed: share of the Company’s restricted common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of the Company’s restricted common
−Removed: stock at $0.75 per share until December 31, 2020.
−Removed: In addition, the Company also sold 1,150,000 units at$0.50 per unit and
−Removed: received gross proceeds of $575,000 and net proceeds of $517,500 with each unit consisting of one share of the Company’s
−Removed: restricted common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of the Company’s restricted common stock at $0.75 until December
−Removed: During the year ended June 30, 2020, Mark Smith elected to convert a loan payable, accrued
−Removed: expenses and interest of $15,000, $52,830 and $3,828 respectively, into an aggregate 143,316 units at $0.50 per unit, pursuant
−Removed: to the 2006 Consolidated Incentive Plan with each unit consisting of one share of the common stock and one warrant to purchase
+Added: Sales of Common Stock during 2021 and 2020 Fiscal
+Added: During the year ended June 30, 2021, the Company entered
+Added: into subscription agreements, under three different offerings, to sell units for $0.50 per unit, with each unit consisting of one share
+Added: of the Company’s restricted common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of the Company’s restricted common stock for
+Added: $0.75 per share with an expiry date of December 31, 2021 and pursuant thereto, the Company issued 3,720,000 units for total proceeds of
+Added: $1,860,000, net proceeds of $1,699,000 after commissions of $161,000.
+Added: During the year ended June 30, 2021 300,000 shares
+Added: of the Company’s restricted company stock were sold to an investor for $300,000.
+Added: During the year ended June 30, 2021, 129,364 shares
+Added: of its unregistered common stock were issued as commissions.
+Added: During the year ended June 30, 2021, the company issued
+Added: 1,186,824 units to various employees/consultants upon the conversion of debt pursuant to the 2006 Consolidated Incentive Plan with
+Added: each unit consisting of one share of the common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of the Company’s stock for $0.75 per
+Added: share until June 30, 2023.
+Added: During the year ended June 30, 2021, Mark Smith elected
+Added: to convert deferred compensation, accrued interest and accounts payable of $124,698, $3342 and $52,360 respectively into an aggregate
+Added: of 360,805 units at $0.50 per unit, pursuant to the 2006 Consolidated Incentive Plan with each unit consisting of one share of the common
+Added: stock and one warrant to purchase one share of the Company’s stock for $0.75 per share until December 31, 2024.
+Added: During the year ended June 30, 2021, the Company issued
+Added: 144,000 units to Mr.
+Added: Smith for salary of $72,000, pursuant to the 2006 Consolidated Incentive Plan with each unit consisting of one share
+Added: of the common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of the Company’s stock for $0.75 per share until December 31, 2024.
+Added: During the year ended June 30, 2021, 4,065,988 warrants
+Added: were exercised to purchase 4,065,988 shares of the Company’s common stock at $0.75 per share for total proceeds of $3,049,491.
+Added: During the year ended June 30, 2020, the Company sold
+Added: 3,168,001 shares of its unregistered common stock (not including 29,000 shares issued to entities for services and 143,316 shares issued
+Added: upon conversion of debt).
+Added: During the year ended June 30, 2020, the Company sold 18,000 units at $0.50 per unit and received
+Added: gross proceeds of $9,000 and net proceeds of $8,100;
+Added: each unit consisting of one share of the Company’s restricted common
+Added: stock and one half warrant to purchase half a share of the Company’s restricted common stock at $0.75 until December 31, 2020.
+Added: During the year ended June 30, 2020, the Company also sold 2,000,001 units at $0.50 per unit, and received gross proceeds of
+Added: $1,000,000 and net proceeds of $910,500 with each unit consisting of one share of the Company’s restricted common stock and one
+Added: warrant to purchase one share of the Company’s restricted common stock at $0.75 per share until December 31, 2020.
+Added: the Company also sold 1,150,000 units at$0.50 per unit and received gross proceeds of $575,000 and net proceeds of $517,500 with each
+Added: unit consisting of one share of the Company’s restricted common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of the Company’s
+Added: restricted common stock at $0.75 until December 31, 2021.
+Added: During the year ended June 30, 2020, Mark Smith elected to convert
+Added: a loan payable, accrued expenses and interest of $15,000, $52,830 and $3,828 respectively, into an aggregate 143,316 units at $0.50 per
+Added: unit, pursuant to the 2006 Consolidated Incentive Plan with each unit consisting of one share of the common stock and one warrant to purchase
one share of the Company’s stock for $0.75 per share until December 31, 2024.
−Removed: During the year ended June 30, 2019, the Company
−Removed: sold 1,793,606 shares of its unregistered common stock (not including the issuance of 18,162 shares to an employee pursuant to
−Removed: its 2006 Consolidated Incentive Plan, 116,000 shares issued to entities for services and 200,000 shares issued upon conversion
−Removed: During the year ended June 30, 2019, the Company sold 1,793,606 unregistered shares at $0.50 per share and received gross
−Removed: proceeds of $896,801 and net proceeds of $832,921 including units consisting of one share of the Company’s restricted common
−Removed: stock and one warrant to purchase half of a share of the Company’s restricted common stock at $0.75 per share with expiry
−Removed: dates ranging from June 30, 2019 through December 31, 2020.
−Removed: The Company also issued 1,028 shares of common stock as commissions.
−Removed: There are a significant number of competitors
−Removed: in the waste treatment industry who are working on animal related pollution issues.
−Removed: Probably the most efficient way to assess competition
−Removed: in this industry is to review the Newtrient Technology Catalog, a service provided by Newtrient which is an organization created
−Removed: by the dairy industry to help farmers, technology providers, manure-based product developers
−Removed: and other stakeholders assess manure related challenges and opportunities .
−Removed: technologies reviewed by and organized by Newtrient in their catalog, such as Bion, address manure streams in addition to dairy.
+Added: There are a significant number of competitors in the
+Added: waste treatment industry who are working on animal related pollution issues.
+Added: Probably the most efficient way to assess competition in
+Added: this industry is to review the Newtrient Technology Catalog, a service provided by Newtrient Technology Catalog, which is produced by
+Added: an organization created by the dairy industry to help farmers, technology providers, manure-based
+Added: product developers and other stakeholders assess manure related challenges and opportunities .
+Added: Many of the technologies reviewed by and organized by Newtrient in their catalog, such as Bion, address manure streams in addition to
The potential competition has increased with the growing governmental and public concern focused on pollution due to CAFO wastes.
−Removed: Waste treatment lagoons which depend on anaerobic microorganisms ("anaerobic lagoons") are the most common traditional
−Removed: treatment process for animal waste on large farms within the swine and dairy industries.
−Removed: Additionally, many beef feedlots,
−Removed: poultry facilities and dairy farms simply scrape and accumulate manure for later field application.
−Removed: Both lagoon and scrape/pile
−Removed: manure storage approaches are coming under increasing regulatory pressure due to associated odor, nutrient management and water
−Removed: quality issues and are facing possible phase-out in some states.
−Removed: Although we believe that Bion’s comprehensive solution
−Removed: is the most economically and technologically viable solution for the current problems, other alternative (though partial) solutions
−Removed: do exist, including, for example, synthetic lagoon covers (which are placed on the top of the water in the lagoon to trap the gases),
−Removed: methane digesters (a tank which uses anaerobic microorganisms to break down the waste to produce methane), multistage anaerobic
−Removed: lagoons and solids separators (processes which separate large solids from fine solids), as well as various thermal waste-to-energy
−Removed: technologies.
−Removed: Additionally, many efforts are underway to develop and test new technologies.
+Added: Waste treatment lagoons which depend on anaerobic microorganisms ("anaerobic lagoons") are the most common traditional treatment
+Added: process for animal waste on large farms within the swine and dairy industries.
+Added: Additionally, many beef feedlots, poultry facilities
+Added: and dairy farms simply scrape and accumulate manure for later field application.
+Added: Both lagoon and scrape/pile manure storage approaches
+Added: are coming under increasing regulatory pressure due to associated odor, nutrient management and water quality issues and are facing possible
+Added: phase-out in some states.
+Added: Although we believe that Bion’s comprehensive solution is the most economically and technologically
+Added: viable solution for the current problems, other alternative (though partial) solutions do exist, including, for example, synthetic lagoon
+Added: covers (which are placed on the top of the water in the lagoon to trap the gases), methane digesters (a tank which uses anaerobic microorganisms
+Added: to break down the waste to produce methane), multistage anaerobic lagoons and solids separators (processes which separate large solids
+Added: from fine solids), as well as various thermal waste-to-energy technologies.
+Added: Additionally, many efforts are underway to develop and
+Added: test new technologies.
Our ability to compete is dependent upon favorable
−Removed: regulatory conditions, our ability to obtain required approvals and permits from regulatory and other authorities and upon our
−Removed: ability to introduce and market our Systems in the appropriate industry and geographic segments.
−Removed: There is also extensive competition in the
−Removed: organic soil amendment/fertilizer and feed ingredient markets.
−Removed: There are many companies that are already selling products
−Removed: to satisfy demand in the sectors of these markets we are trying to enter.
+Added: regulatory conditions, our ability to obtain required approvals and permits from regulatory and other authorities and upon our ability
+Added: to introduce and market our Systems in the appropriate industry and geographic segments.
+Added: There is also extensive competition in the sustainable
+Added: beef and sustainable organic beef market segments and organic soil amendment/fertilizer and feed ingredient markets that are being targeted
+Added: by Bion’s 3G Tech JVs as discussed above.
+Added: There are many companies that are already selling
+Added: products to satisfy demand in the sectors of these markets we are trying to enter.
Many of these companies have established marketing
−Removed: and sales organizations and customer commitments, are supporting their products with advertising, sometimes on a national basis,
−Removed: and have developed brand name recognition and customer loyalty in many cases.
−Removed: Because Bion systems offer a comprehensive solution
−Removed: that is designed to produce up to four separate and distinct revenue streams, the Company believes that it has the ability to be
−Removed: more competitive in any one of the sectors from which it derives revenue.
+Added: and sales organizations and customer commitments, are supporting their products with advertising, sometimes on a national basis, and have
+Added: developed brand name recognition and customer loyalty in many cases.
+Added: Because Bion systems offer a comprehensive waste treatment
+Added: solution that is designed to produce/augment up to four separate and distinct revenue streams, the Company believes that it has the ability
+Added: to be competitive in each of the sectors from which it derives revenue.
DEPENDENCE ON ONE OR A FEW MAJOR CUSTOMERS
In our JVs/Projects (including Integrated Projects)
−Removed: business segment, we will most likely be dependent upon one or a few major customers/partners/joint venturers since a relatively
−Removed: limited number of JVs and/or Projects (including Integrated Projects) will be developed by the Company.
−Removed: We anticipate initially
−Removed: developing, owning interests in, and operating only one or a few Projects commencing during 2021, and, thereafter, developing a
−Removed: limited number of Projects at a time.
−Removed: Thus, at least for the near future, our revenues will be dependent on a relatively small
−Removed: number of major Projects, participants and/or customers.
+Added: business segment, we will most likely be dependent upon one or a few major customers/partners/joint venturers since a relatively limited
+Added: number of JVs and/or Projects (including Integrated Projects) will be developed by the Company.
+Added: We anticipate initially developing, owning
+Added: interests in, and operating only one or a few Projects commencing during 2021and 2022 and, thereafter, developing a limited number of
+Added: Projects at a time.
+Added: Thus, at least for the near future, our revenues will be dependent on a relatively small number of major Projects,
+Added: participants and/or customers.
In our CAFO Retrofit/remediation business segment,
we currently have only built one system and it is no longer operating and only have contracts with only a single party.
−Removed: there are thousands of CAFO’s in the United States and we anticipate that in the future we will have agreements with many
−Removed: CAFO customers.
−Removed: We are the sole owner of nine United States
+Added: However, there
+Added: are thousands of CAFO’s in the United States and we anticipate that in the future we will have agreements with many CAFO customers.
+Added: We are the sole owner of seven United States patents.
Bion also owns one Australian patent, two Canadian patents, one patent from New Zealand and two patents from Mexico.
+Added: Additionally, Bion
+Added: has one United States patent application pending and has three International patent applications currently pending.
Patent Numbers and date of issue:
United States Currently Issued:
−Removed: (1) 6,689,274:
−Removed: Low Oxygen Organic Waste Bioconversion System:
−Removed: (NdeN) Jere Northrop
−Removed: Morris (Exp 6/28/2021)
−Removed: (2) 6,908,495:
−Removed: Low Oxygen Organic Waste Bioconversion System:
−Removed: (NdeN+divisional)
−Removed: Jere Northrop & James W.
−Removed: Morris (Exp 5/2/2021)
−Removed: (3) 7,431,839:
Low Oxygen Biologically Mediated Nutrient Removal:
−Removed: (NdeN+PwA) James
−Removed: Morris & Jere Northrop (Exp 12/26/2021)
−Removed: (4) 7,575, 685:
−Removed: Low Oxygen Biologically Mediated Nutrient Removal:
−Removed: (NdeN+PwoA) James W.
+Added: (NdeN+PwA) James W.
Morris & Jere Northrop (Exp 12/26/2021)
−Removed: (5) 7,879,589:
Micro-Electron Acceptor Phosphorous Accumulating Organisms:
−Removed: Microbial) James W.
−Removed: Morris & Jere Northrop (Exp 11/10/20)
−Removed: (6) 8,039,242:
+Added: (NdeN+PwoA Microbial) James W.
+Added: Morris & Jere Northrop
+Added: (Exp 6/20/2023)
Low Oxygen Biologically Mediated Nutrient Removal:
−Removed: (NdeN+PwoA Microbial)
+Added: (NdeN+PwoA Microbial) James W.
Morris & Jere Northrop (Exp 6/20/2023)
−Removed: (7) 8,287,734:
Method for Treating Nitrogen in Waste Streams:
−Removed: (OCN) Jere Northrop
+Added: (OCN) Jere Northrop & James W.
Morris (Exp 3/20/31)
−Removed: (8) 10,106,447:
Process to Recover Ammonium Bicarbonate from Wastewater:
−Removed: Morton Orentlicher
+Added: Morton Orentlicher & Mark M.
(6) 10,604,432:
−Removed: Process to Recover Ammonium Bicarbonate from Wastewater;
−Removed: Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M.
+Added: to Recover Ammonium Bicarbonate from Wastewater;
+Added: Dominic Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M.
(Exp 6/29/2037)
−Removed: Australia Issued:
(7) 10,793,458:
+Added: to Recover Ammonium Bicarbonate from Wastewater;
+Added: Dominic Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M.
+Added: (Exp 9/14/2035)
+Added: Australia Issued:
Low Oxygen Organic Waste Bioconversion System:
−Removed: (NdeN) Jere Northrop &
+Added: (NdeN) Jere Northrop & James W.
Morris (Exp 11/8/2021).
1 unchanged sentence
(1) 2,428,417:
−Removed: Low Oxygen Organic Waste Bioconversion System:
−Removed: (NdeN) Jere Northrop &
+Added: Organic Waste Bioconversion System:
+Added: (NdeN) Jere Northrop & James W.
Morris (Exp 11/8/21).
(2) 2,503,166:
−Removed: Low Oxygen Biologically Mediated Nutrient Removal:
−Removed: (NdeN+PwA) Jere Northrop
+Added: Biologically Mediated Nutrient Removal:
+Added: (NdeN+PwA) Jere Northrop & James W.
Morris (Exp 11/8/21).
1 unchanged sentence
Low Oxygen Organic Waste Bioconversion System;
−Removed: 9/8/06 (notified 3/26/07)
−Removed: (NdeN) Jere Northrop & James W.
+Added: 9/8/06 (notified 3/26/07) (NdeN) Jere Northrop & James W.
Morris (Exp 11/8/2021).
Low Oxygen Organic Waste Bioconversion System:
−Removed: (NdeN) Jere Northrop &
+Added: (NdeN) Jere Northrop & James W.
Morris (Exp 11/8/2021).
1 unchanged sentence
Low Oxygen Organic Waste Bioconversion System:
−Removed: (NdeN) Jere Northrop &
+Added: (NdeN) Jere Northrop & James W.
Morris (Exp 11/8/2021).
−Removed: We are also the sole owner of, or possess the
−Removed: contractual right to acquire exclusive patent rights to, two pending United States patent applications (one of which has received
−Removed: a Notice of Allowance) and two international (PCT) patent applications as set forth below:
+Added: We are also the sole owner of, or possess the contractual
+Added: right to acquire exclusive patent rights to, a pending United States patent application and three international applications as set forth
United States Currently Pending:
−Removed: (1) 16/139,709:
Process to Recover Ammonium Bicarbonate from Wastewater;
−Removed: Dominic Bassani,
−Removed: Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M.
−Removed: Simon (Notice of Allowance received).
−Removed: (2) 16/790,390:
+Added: Dominic Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M.
+Added: International Applications Currently Pending:
+Added: (1) EP18943551:
Process to recover ammonium bicarbonate from wastewater;
−Removed: Dominic Bassani,
−Removed: Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M.
−Removed: International (PCT) Currently Pending:
−Removed: (1) PCT/US2016/13254:
+Added: Dominic Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton
+Added: Orentlicher & Mark M.
+Added: (2) CA3123802A1:
Process to recover ammonium bicarbonate from wastewater;
−Removed: Morton Orentlicher & Mark
−Removed: (Application Published).
−Removed: (2) PCT/US2018/67247:
+Added: Dominic Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton
+Added: Orentlicher & Mark M.
+Added: (3) MX/a/2021/007358:
Process to recover ammonium bicarbonate from wastewater;
1 unchanged sentence
Morton Orentlicher & Mark M.
−Removed: (Application Published).
−Removed: In addition to such factors as innovation,
−Removed: technological expertise and experienced personnel, we believe that a strong patent position is increasingly important to compete
−Removed: effectively in the businesses on which we are focused.
−Removed: It is likely that we will file applications for additional patents
−Removed: in the future.
−Removed: There is, however, no assurance that any such patents will be granted.
−Removed: The Company has elected to expense all
−Removed: costs and filing fees related to obtaining patents (resulting in no related asset being recognized in the Company’s consolidated
−Removed: balance sheets) because the Company believes such costs and fees are immaterial (in the context of the Company’s total costs/expenses)
−Removed: and have no direct relationship to the value of the Company’s patents.
−Removed: It may become necessary or desirable in the
−Removed: future for us to obtain patent and technology licenses from other companies relating to technologies that may be employed in future
−Removed: products or processes.
−Removed: To date, we have not received notices of claimed infringement of patents based on our existing processes
−Removed: or products, but due to the nature of the industry, we may receive such claims in the future.
−Removed: We generally require all of our employees and
−Removed: consultants, including our management, to sign a non-disclosure and invention assignment agreements upon employment with us.
+Added: In addition to such factors as innovation, technological
+Added: expertise and experienced personnel, we believe that a strong patent position is increasingly important to compete effectively in the
+Added: businesses on which we are focused.
+Added: It is likely that we will file applications for additional patents in the future.
+Added: however, no assurance that any such patents will be granted.
+Added: The Company has elected to expense all costs and
+Added: filing fees related to obtaining patents (resulting in no related asset being recognized in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets)
+Added: because the Company believes such costs and fees are immaterial (in the context of the Company’s total costs/expenses) and have
+Added: no direct relationship to the value of the Company’s patents.
+Added: It may become necessary or desirable in the future
+Added: for us to obtain patent and technology licenses from other companies relating to technologies that may be employed in future products
+Added: or processes.
+Added: To date, we have not received notices of claimed infringement of patents based on our existing processes or products,
+Added: but due to the nature of the industry, we may receive such claims in the future.
+Added: We generally require all of our employees and consultants,
+Added: including our management, to sign a non-disclosure and invention assignment agreements upon employment with us.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
−Removed: Current research and development work is focused
−Removed: toward completion of the development and ongoing improvement of our 3G Tech (the initial version of which is ready for implementation
−Removed: in an appropriate Project) with emphasis on increased recovery of valuable by-products (including nutrients in organic and/or
−Removed: non-organic forms, production of renewable energy from by-products together with related renewable energy and/or environmental
−Removed: Bion believes its 3G Tech will produce significantly greater value from the CAFO waste stream through the recovery of
−Removed: a concentrated natural nitrogen fertilizer and pipeline-quality natural gas.
−Removed: During the years ended June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2019, respectively,
−Removed: we expended approximately $438,000 and $435,000 (excluding non-cash stock-based compensation) on research and development activities
−Removed: related to our technology platform applications in support of large-scale, economically and environmentally sustainable Projects
−Removed: and Retrofits.
−Removed: During the 2018 fiscal year, Bion’s research and development has been primarily focused on development work
−Removed: to complete and further refine development of our 3G Tech which will have the capacity to process dry, poultry CAFO waste streams
−Removed: (in addition to wet dairy/beef/swine CAFO waste streams) and increase our ability to recover marketable by-products from the waste
−Removed: stream remediation including renewable natural gas and nitrogen products (organic and non-organic).
−Removed: Some work has also involved
−Removed: modifying and adding unit processes to our 3G Tech platform with the objective of reducing capital costs and operating costs, while
−Removed: generating commercial equivalent by-products (and therefore, potential revenue streams) and significantly increasing environmental
−Removed: As a result of these efforts (including their continuation during the current period), Bion made new (and supplemental)
−Removed: patent filing(s) during the 2020 and 2019 fiscal years related to our 3G Tech.
−Removed: The Company anticipates completion of its pilot
−Removed: system and pre-commercial testing for its 3G Tech by end of the current calendar year to support design finalization for our initial
−Removed: 3G Tech systems.
+Added: Current research and development work is focused on
+Added: completion of the development and ongoing improvement of our 3G Tech (the initial version of which is ready for implementation in an appropriate
+Added: Project) with emphasis on increased recovery of valuable by-products (including nutrients in organic and/or non-organic forms, production
+Added: of renewable energy from by-products together with related renewable energy and/or environmental credits).
+Added: Bion believes its 3G Tech will
+Added: produce significantly greater value from the CAFO waste stream through the recovery of a concentrated natural nitrogen fertilizer
+Added: and pipeline-quality natural gas.
+Added: During the years ended June 30, 2021 and June 30, 2020, respectively, we
+Added: expended approximately $547,000 and $478,000 (excluding non-cash stock-based compensation) on research and development activities related
+Added: to our technology platform applications in support of large-scale, economically and environmentally sustainable Projects and Retrofits.
+Added: Since the 2018 fiscal year, Bion’s research and development has been primarily focused on development work to complete and further
+Added: refine development of our 3G Tech which will have the capacity to process dry, poultry CAFO waste streams in addition to wet dairy/beef/swine
+Added: CAFO waste streams and increase our ability to recover marketable by-products from the waste stream remediation including renewable natural
+Added: gas and nitrogen products (organic and non-organic).
+Added: Some work has also involved modifying and adding unit processes to our 3G Tech
+Added: platform with the objective of reducing capital costs and operating costs, while generating commercial equivalent by-products (and therefore,
+Added: potential revenue streams) and significantly increasing environmental efficiency.
+Added: As a result of these efforts (including their continuation
+Added: during the current period), Bion made new (and supplemental) patent filing(s) during the 2019-2021 fiscal years related to our 3G Tech.
+Added: The Company anticipates completion of its pilot system and pre-commercial testing for its 3G Tech by end of the current calendar year
+Added: to support design finalization for our initial 3G Tech systems.
Our technology focus is to separate and aggregate the various “assets”
−Removed: in the waste stream and then
−Removed: to re-assemble them to maximize their economic value.
−Removed: Our current research and development efforts have been focused on developments
−Removed: that will minimize water removal requirements thereby significantly reducing the associated energy costs.
−Removed: In addition, current
−Removed: efforts are focused on fertilizer and soil amendment products (organic and inorganic), water reuse, environmental and reduction
−Removed: credits (including but not limited to nutrient, carbon, sediment, water and pathogen reduction) while reducing capital costs and
−Removed: operating costs.
+Added: in the waste stream and then to re-assemble them to maximize their economic value.
+Added: Our current research and development efforts have been
+Added: focused on developments that will minimize water removal requirements thereby significantly reducing the associated energy costs.
+Added: current efforts are focused on fertilizer and soil amendment products (organic and inorganic), water reuse, environmental and reduction
+Added: credits (including but not limited to nutrient, carbon, sediment, water and pathogen reduction) while reducing capital costs and operating
Bion continues to focus on “normalizing”
its technology platform for use on multiple species.
−Removed: effort has required significant work and resource allocation on research regarding balancing the activities of each unit process
−Removed: so that its output enables the subsequent unit processes to maximize efficiency and discharge to the subsequent unit process in
−Removed: order to produce a feedstock cost effectively.
−Removed: The by-products of this series of unit processes (which include certain Bion proprietary
−Removed: elements) are then “reassembled”
+Added: This effort has required
+Added: significant work and resource allocation on research regarding balancing the activities of each unit process so that its output enables
+Added: the subsequent unit processes to maximize efficiency and discharge to the subsequent unit process in order to produce a feedstock cost
+Added: The by-products of this series of unit processes (which include certain Bion proprietary elements) are then “reassembled”
into products to maximize their economic value.
−Removed: To date, research and development
−Removed: results have supported our objectives.
−Removed: Environmental Protection/Regulation and
−Removed: Public Policy
−Removed: In regards to Retrofits and development of
−Removed: Projects, we will be subject to extensive environmental (and other) regulations related to CAFO's, biofuel production and end product
−Removed: (e.g fertilizer) producers.
−Removed: To the extent that we are a provider of systems and services to others that result in the reduction
−Removed: of pollution, we are not under direct enforcement or regulatory pressure.
−Removed: However, we are involved in the business of CAFO
−Removed: waste treatment and are impacted by environmental regulations in at least five different ways:
−Removed: Our marketing and sales success depends, to a substantial degree, on the pollution clean-up requirements of various governmental
−Removed: agencies, from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level to state and local agencies;
−Removed: Our System design and performance criteria must be responsive to the changes in federal, state and local environmental agencies'
−Removed: effluent and emission standards and other requirements;
+Added: To date, research and development results have supported our objectives.
+Added: Environmental Protection/Regulation and Public
+Added: In regards to Retrofits and development of Projects,
+Added: we will be subject to extensive environmental (and other) regulations related to CAFO's, biofuel production and end product (e.g.
+Added: To the extent that we are a provider of systems and services to others that result in the reduction of pollution, we
+Added: are not under direct enforcement or regulatory pressure.
+Added: However, we are involved in the business of CAFO waste treatment and are
+Added: impacted by environmental regulations in at least five different ways:
+Added: Our marketing and sales success depends, to a substantial degree, on the pollution clean-up requirements of various governmental agencies,
+Added: from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level to state and local agencies;
+Added: Our System design and performance criteria must be responsive to the changes in federal, state and local environmental agencies' effluent
+Added: and emission standards and other requirements;
Our System installations and operations require governmental permits and/or other approvals in many jurisdictions;
−Removed: To the extent we own or operate Projects (including Integrated Projects with CAFO facilities and ethanol plants), those facilities
−Removed: will be subject to environmental regulations;
−Removed: Appropriate public policies need to be developed and implemented to facilitate environmental clean-up at CAFOs and the sale of
−Removed: nutrient reductions from such activities in order for the Company to monetize the nutrient reductions generated by its facilities.
−Removed: Additionally, our activities are affected
−Removed: by many public policies and regulations (federal, state and local) related to other industries such as municipal waste and storm
−Removed: water treatment, watershed-wide mandates, and others.
−Removed: For example, the existing differences in the regulatory requirements for
−Removed: agriculture versus municipal wastewater clean-up currently in place have negatively impaired the development of viable markets
−Removed: for nutrient reduction credits.
−Removed: As of September 1, 2020, we had 6 employees
−Removed: and primary consultants, all of whom are performing services for the Company on a full-time basis.
+Added: To the extent we own or operate Projects (including Integrated Projects with CAFO facilities and ethanol plants), those facilities will
+Added: be subject to environmental regulations;
+Added: Appropriate public policies need to be developed and implemented to facilitate environmental clean-up at CAFOs and the sale of nutrient
+Added: reductions from such activities in order for the Company to monetize the nutrient reductions generated by its facilities.
+Added: Additionally, our activities are affected by many
+Added: public policies and regulations (federal, state and local) related to other industries such as municipal waste and storm water treatment,
+Added: watershed-wide mandates, and others.
+Added: For example, the existing differences in the regulatory requirements for agriculture versus municipal
+Added: wastewater clean-up currently in place have negatively impaired the development of viable markets for nutrient reduction credits.
+Added: Bion system installations and operations may require
+Added: verification and compliance with an assortment of voluntary regulatory programs, such as the USDA Organic and USDA Process Verified branding
+Added: Each of these programs has a series of compliance verification steps that need to be met in order to maintain proper standing
+Added: for use of the USDA shield’s on packaging.
+Added: As of September 1, 2021, we had 6 employees and
+Added: primary consultants, all of whom are performing services for the Company on a full-time basis.
The Company utilizes other consultants
and professionals on an ‘as needed’
−Removed: Our future success depends in significant part on the continued service
−Removed: of our key personnel and the ability to hire additional qualified personnel.
−Removed: The competition for highly qualified personnel is
−Removed: intense, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to retain our key managerial and technical employees or that we will
−Removed: be able to attract and retain additional highly qualified technical and managerial personnel in the future.
−Removed: None of our employees
−Removed: is represented by a labor union, and we consider our relations with our employees to be good.
−Removed: None of our employees is covered
−Removed: by "key person"
+Added: Our future success depends in significant part on the continued service of our
+Added: key personnel and the ability to hire additional qualified personnel.
+Added: The competition for highly qualified personnel is intense, and there
+Added: can be no assurance that we will be able to retain our key managerial and technical employees or that we will be able to attract and retain
+Added: additional highly qualified technical and managerial personnel in the future.
+Added: None of our employees is represented by a labor union, and
+Added: we consider our relations with our employees to be good.
+Added: None of our employees is covered by "key person"
life insurance.
4 unchanged sentences
Compared sentence by sentence after normalising whitespace, quotation marks, case and digits, so re-formatting and restated figures do not read as changed language. Wording changes appear as one removal and one addition. The current filing and the prior one are authoritative.