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.