Montgomery Council Faces Choice on Dickerson Incinerator

Montgomery County’s long-running debate over its Dickerson trash incinerator is approaching a decision. On November 10, the County Council is set to choose between closing the facility and sending trash to landfills outside the county, or modernizing it for continued use. Council President Natali Fani-González said members have enough information to vote and that the choice will shape the county’s waste system for years.

Montgomery Council Should Close Dickerson Incinerator

Montgomery County has a chance to end its reliance on the Dickerson incinerator, a facility environmentalists say has harmful emissions and a record of toxic-emissions violations. The County Council is due to vote November 10 on whether to shut it down or spend $356 million to modernize it and keep it operating. Incoming County Executive Will Jawando supports closure on a firm timeline, citing the burden on nearby residents and the county’s climate goals.

Residents near Dickerson have pressed for an end to the facility, and the Sugarloaf Citizens Association has urged closure by June. The group also objects to the practice of hauling the incinerator’s toxic ash to a landfill in Virginia. Keeping the plant open would extend a system that nearby communities have lived with for decades.

Closing it raises real questions about where trash will go. Council President Natali Fani-González has warned that the shift could mean at least 80 trucks a day, while some residents fear more traffic, odors and noise near transfer stations. Those concerns deserve answers, but they do not erase the health and environmental costs raised by opponents of the incinerator.

County Executive Marc Elrich has urged the council to close the plant and revisit advanced waste processing, which could recover more materials before disposal. The council’s closure resolution does not set a date, so members would still need to settle a timeline. Both proposed resolutions support an in-county food-waste composting facility.

Council Risks Rushing a Costly Trash Decision

Montgomery County is poised to make a long-term waste decision before its executive believes the council has the full picture. On November 10, council members are scheduled to choose between closing the Dickerson incinerator and trucking trash to landfills outside the county, or modernizing the plant. Marc Elrich has urged them to close it while also pressing for a deeper look at advanced waste processing rather than a quick shift to long-haul disposal.

The choice has substantial consequences. A council staff report put modernization at $356 million, with trash still needing to be hauled out of the county during the work. Closing the facility would also mean more trucking; Council President Natali Fani-González has cited at least 80 trucks daily. Residents have raised concerns about traffic, odors and noise around transfer stations.

Elrich says the council should take more time and examine systems that recover usable materials. He pointed to San Jose, where he said as much as 75% of solid waste is recovered, and described advanced processing as a way to sort waste rather than simply replace the incinerator with another long-term disposal arrangement. Fani-González counters that the council has held hearings, has enough information and needs to act as contracts approach expiration.

The Reworld operating contract ends in 2031. A vote to close would still leave the council to set a timeline, while a modernization vote would require decisions about the work schedule and contract extension. The stakes warrant a careful accounting of costs and disposal consequences, not just a binary vote.