A group of Montgomery County residents who have a vast experience in environmental issues have been advocating for the closure of the Covanta/ReWorld incinerator in Dickerson over many years. It has involved discussions with the County Executive and their personnel, Montgomery County Councilmembers and the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.
The group that was led by Susan Eisendrath, Amy Maron, Lauren Greenberger and Kelly Doordan, has been supported pro bono over the years by Mike Ewall at Energy Justice Network and Neil Seldman, co-founder of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, National Recycling Coalition, Zero Waste USA and Zero Waste International Association.
Prior Zero Waste Planning in Montgomery County
Before Zero Waste Montgomery County was formed, Sugarloaf Citizens Association (SCA) had been working for years on the issue of the trash incinerator as the largest polluter in Montgomery County. Following a massive waste pile fire that burned for nearly two weeks in late 2016, Mike Ewall at Energy Justice Network started working with SCA. Additionally, Montgomery County Sierra Club raised concerns about the fires at the Dickerson incinerator. The Department of Environmental Protection and the MD Department of the Environment oversaw corrective action by Covanta at the incinerator to improve safety. Primarily, the volume of trash on the tipping floor is now required to be much less than at the time of the fire.
The Dickerson Area Facilities Implementation Group (DAFIG) is a county advisory group composed of citizens and stakeholders who provide oversight of industrial operations. This group meets with and receives reports on a quarterly basis from the four industrial operations located in Dickerson – the incinerator, the GenOn Energy Plant, the County Yard Trim Composting Facility operated by Montgomery Environmental Services (MES) and the Terra Energy site, planned future home of a data center. ZWMC follows this group’s activity as well as The Solid Waste Advisory Committee,(SWAC), another key county-sanctioned oversight group comprised of stakeholders and citizens.
Lauren Greenberger, former president and current vice president of Sugarloaf Citizens Association (SCA) and a current member of ZWMC, was included in the “Aiming for Zero Waste” Task Force convened by then County Executive Ike Leggett. The Task Force provided recommendations to County Executive Marc Elrich in May 2020. The Task Force met with the County Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee in December 2020 to provide an overview of Task Force recommendations.
Our advocacy group formed in January 2021
The Zero Waste Montgomery County group was formed in January 2021. At the request of County Executive Elrich, the group researched and published the report “Beyond Incineration: Best Waste Management Strategies for Montgomery County, Maryland”. The principal author was Mike Ewall of Energy Justice Network.
In December 2021, County Executive Marc Elrich notified the County Council of his intention to close the incinerator within 12-18 months.
In 2022 the County Executive hired a coalition of national zero waste experts, led by Ruth Abbe of Zero Waste USA, to develop a roadmap for the county to reach a goal of zero waste. Their report “Closing Montgomery County’s Incinerator and Implementing Zero Waste” was released in December 2022. Zero Waste Montgomery County collaborated with this coalition on the report.
Zero Waste Montgomery County launched the website www.zwmc.org in June 2023 to inform the public about the ongoing battle to close the incinerator and move toward comprehensive Zero Waste planning in Montgomery County.
Zero Waste Montgomery County continues working with the County Executive’s office, Montgomery County Councilmembers, the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Energy Justice Network, the Climate Coalition of Montgomery County, and various other organizations and volunteers to move towards Zero Waste and away from trash incineration.
Join us by filling out the volunteer survey here: zwmc.org/survey
Other related documents
- “Frequently Asked Questions about Incineration” by ZWMC in August 2024
- County Council Transportation and Environment Committee meeting with the Task Force in December 2020
- “Trash and Recycling Collection: An Evaluation of Current Policies” by Office of Legislative Oversight in 2019
- “Transitioning from Waste Incineration Towards Zero Waste in Montgomery County, Maryland” by SCA and ILSR in 2018
- “Strategic Plan to Advance Composting, Compost Use, and Food Scraps Diversion in Montgomery County, Maryland” by DEP in 2018