The Montgomery County Council voted 6-5 on Tuesday, November 10, to approve a resolution supporting the long-term operation of the Dickerson Resource Recovery Facility as the County’s primary method of solid waste disposal, rather than sending waste to out-of-county landfills.
The resolution calls for upgrades to the waste-to-energy facility, including potential emissions-reduction technologies, improved ash treatment and expanded recycling efforts. It also supports construction of a food-waste composting facility.
The Council has already approved $28 million for a centralized composting facility that could allow Montgomery County to introduce curbside food-waste collection and expand commercial composting.
The decision follows years of discussions over the future of the Dickerson facility, including a proposal to transport County waste to a landfill in Virginia. Supporters of keeping the facility open cited concerns about increased truck traffic, emissions and the costs of transporting waste elsewhere.
The resolution directs the County Executive to develop plans for facility improvements through the Fiscal Year 2027-2032 Capital Improvements Program. Additional funding approval would be required before the upgrades could move forward.
