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Note 5 - Loan Payable
3 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Notes to Financial Statements  
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]
5.     LOAN PAYABLE:
 
As of September 30, 2016, PA1, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, owes $8,621,827 under the terms of the Pennvest Loan related to the construction of the Kreider 1 System including accrued interest and late charges totaling $867,827. The terms of the Pennvest Loan provided for funding of up to $7,754,000 which was to be repaid by interest-only payments for three years, followed by an additional ten-year amortization of principal. The Pennvest Loan accrues interest at 2.547% per annum for years 1 through 5 and 3.184% per annum for years 6 through maturity. The Pennvest Loan required minimum annual principal payments of approximately $2,001,000 in fiscal years 2013 through 2016, and $741,000 in fiscal year 2017, $760,000 in fiscal year 2018, $771,000 in fiscal year 2019, $794,000 in fiscal year 2020, $819,000 in fiscal year 2021 and $1,867,000 thereafter. The Pennvest Loan is collateralized by the Kreider 1 System and by a pledge of all revenues generated from Kreider 1 including, but not limited to, revenues generated from nutrient reduction credit sales and by-product sales. In addition, in consideration for the excess credit risk associated with the project, Pennvest is entitled to participate in the profits from Kreider 1 calculated on a net cash flow basis, as defined. The Company has incurred interest expense related to the Pennvest Loan of $49,374 for both of the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Based on the limited development of the depth and breadth of the Pennsylvania nutrient reduction credit market to date, PA1 commenced negotiations with Pennvest related to forbearance and/or re-structuring the obligations under the Pennvest Loan. In the context of such negotiations, PA1 has elected not to make interest payments to Pennvest on the Pennvest Loan since January 2013. Additionally, the Company has not made any principal payments, which were to begin in fiscal 2013, and, therefore, the Company has classified the Pennvest Loan as a current liability as of September 30, 2016.
 
On September 25, 2014, Pennvest exercised its right to declare the Pennvest Loan in default and has accelerated the Pennvest Loan and demanded that PA1 pay $8,137,117 (principal, interest plus late charges) on or before October 24, 2014. PA1 did not make the payment and does not have the resources to make the payment demanded by Pennvest. PA1 has engaged in on/off discussions and negotiations with Pennvest concerning this matter but no such discussions/negotiations are currently active. As of the date of this report, no formal proposals are under consideration and only sporadic communication has taken place regarding the matters involved over the past 18 months. It is not possible at this date to predict the outcome of this matter, but the Company believes it is possible that an agreement may yet be reached that will result in a viable loan modification. Subject to the results of the negotiations with Pennvest and pending development of a more robust market for nutrient reductions in Pennsylvania, PA1 and Bion will continue to evaluate various options with regard to Kreider 1 over the next 30-180 days.
 
In connection with the Pennvest Loan financing documents, the Company provided a ‘technology guaranty’ regarding nutrient reduction performance of Kreider 1 which was structured to expire when Kreider 1’s nutrient reduction performance had been demonstrated. During August 2012 the Company provided Pennvest (and the PADEP) with data demonstrating that the Kreider 1 System had surpassed the requisite performance criteria and that the Company’s ‘technology guaranty’ was met. As a result, the Pennvest Loan is solely an obligation of PA1.