Montgomery County, Md., Officials Vow to Close WTE Facility

Montgomery County, Md., officials are vowing to close the county’s waste-to-energy facility, which processes more than 600,000 tons per year. The facility, which is run by Covanta, is under a contract that expires in April 2021.

According to Bethesda Magazine, even amid ongoing efforts to reduce waste by boosting recycling, county leaders aren’t sure what would happen to the tons of solid waste that are burned at the Dickerson plant each day if it closes.

The county recycled 740,130 tons of materials in 2017, according to the Department of Environmental Protection, and the county’s composting facility in Dickerson can process 77,000 tons of material per year, the report notes.

Bethesda Magazine has more details:

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and his new Department of Environmental Protection director are adamant about wanting to close the county’s trash incinerator.

But even with ongoing efforts to reduce rubbish by boosting recycling, the leaders aren’t sure what would happen to the tons of solid waste that are burned at the Dickerson plant each day if it closes.

The plant, which opened in 1995, processes 600,000 tons per year, according Covanta, the company that operates the incinerator and the Shady Grove trash transfer station in Derwood, under a contract that expires in April 2021.

Read the full article here.