Montgomery County Council narrowly votes to keep Dickerson incinerator open with $356M plan

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The Montgomery County Council voted narrowly Tuesday to keep the Dickerson trash incinerator open, approving a $356 million modernization plan despite sharp objections from county leadership.

A Controversial Vote:

Lawmakers voted 6-5 to approve the modernization of the aging facility, known formally as the Resource Recovery Facility. The plant processes roughly 600,000 tons of waste each year, converting much of it into electricity.

Council President Natali Fani-González championed the effort to keep the site operational, arguing that maintaining the facility ensures the county retains control over its own solid waste management.

"We need to modernize the ways we do things," Fani-González said. "Composting and do it in a way that we use and embrace technology and public engagement and transparency!"

The decision highlighted deep divisions within county leadership. Outgoing County Executive Marc Elrich opposed the measure, warning that long-term renovation costs could spiral far beyond current estimates. Councilmember and incoming County Executive Will Jawando also voted against the plan.

The backstory:

The Dickerson incinerator opened in 1995. County leaders had spent months debating two distinct paths: investing an estimated $356 million to modernize the plant with updated technology, or closing it down entirely and trucking solid waste to out-of-county landfills. Prior county reviews indicated residents could face an additional cost of about $50 more regardless of which option was chosen.

Elrich had long campaigned to shutter the incinerator, citing environmental and public health concerns as well as equity issues surrounding ash disposal in lower-income and minority communities. He urged lawmakers to study alternative waste-reduction, composting and recycling models used in cities such as San Jose, California.

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