Montgomery County Weighs Incinerator Closure and Landfill Exports

As of November 17, 2025, Montgomery County, Maryland, is grappling with a complex decision on how to manage its substantial waste stream. The county is considering closing its trash incinerator and exporting approximately 600,000 tons of annual waste to a landfill in Virginia.

This move raises significant equity concerns, as a 1995 report found that many of Virginia's landfills, especially private regional ones, are located in marginalized communities that are disproportionately African American. In contrast, the rural area near Montgomery County's incinerator is well-off and predominantly white.

The county's waste management decision also involves complicated environmental and public health tradeoffs. While the incinerator's air pollution controls appear to be working well, its ash containing toxic metals is currently sent to a landfill in Richmond, Virginia, whose surrounding community is 70% African American. Nearby jurisdictions have opted for a different ash disposal method, using an ash monofill designed to prevent the release of metals.

Dueling cost estimates further cloud the county's decision. A 2025 contractor report suggests that, in the long term, even with needed upgrades, using the incinerator would be cheaper than landfilling. However, county staff maintain that, in the short term, the landfill-plus-incinerator-closure option would be more cost-effective. The county has not yet estimated the closure costs for the incinerator.

As Montgomery County's council members grapple with this crucial decision, they must weigh the principles of proximity and self-sufficiency against the potential environmental and public health impacts of exporting their waste to Virginia. The council has not yet scheduled a public hearing, but residents and stakeholders in both Maryland and Virginia deserve a comprehensive understanding of the full cost, environmental, and public health implications before a final decision is made.