Dickerson incinerator back in compliance with air pollutant rules, new tests find
Maryland Department of the Environment still reviewing results, investigating cause of earlier emissions exceedances
By
Ceoli JacobyApril 14, 2026 11:15 a.m.
Share
Facebook X ReddIt Email Print Copy URL
Today’s the day! 🎉
Bethesda Today’s spring campaign is underway. Help us reach $15,000 to keep local journalism strong.
Contribute TodayAll three units at the Dickerson incinerator were found to comply with the state’s air pollutant limits during the most recent round of tests, the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection said in a Friday press release.
The incinerator, also known as the Resource Recovery Facility (RRF), processes approximately 600,000 tons of the county’s solid waste each year, according to the Department of Environmental Protection. It is operated by Reworld, a New Jersey-based company.
In a Tuesday statement to Bethesda Today, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) spokesperson Jay Apperson said his department required Reworld to conduct the recent round of tests to demonstrate compliance with emission limits in the facility’s air permit.
MDE reviewed the facility’s testing plans ahead of time, Apperson said, though the department was not on site for the actual tests.
- Advertisement -
Friday’s announcement by the county Environmental Protection Department follows two reported violations of state air pollutant limits at the county facility in November and January. In each of those instances, a different boiler unit had to be taken offline when compliance tests showed elevated levels of dioxins and furans.
“We are still reviewing the test reports as well as additional documentation that MDE requested to investigate the cause of the emissions limit exceedances,” Apperson told Bethesda Today on Tuesday.
Emissions exceedances
Dioxins and furans are a group of toxic chemical compounds regulated by the state and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the EPA, dioxins and furans are linked to negative health outcomes including cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, damage to the immune system and hormonal changes.
The Dickerson facility’s Unit 3 was taken offline on Nov. 7 after September compliance tests found levels of dioxins and furans from the boiler that were 83% above the state limit.
Sponsored
Modifying Child Custody in Maryland: When and Why a Change May Be Appropriate
Greater Washington Unites to Launch Digital Workforce Tool for Federal Workers
Featured Now
The facility’s Unit 2 was taken offline on Jan. 4 for a planned refurbishment. The unit remained offline after Reworld received preliminary results from December compliance tests showing average levels of dioxins and furans emitted from the boiler were 226% above the state limit.
According to Friday’s press release, testing of Unit 3 conducted on Jan. 22 and 23 found levels of dioxins and furans were 95% below the state limit. Testing of Unit 2 conducted on March 17 and 18 found levels of dioxins and furans were 97% below the state limit.
Unit 1, which has been online since Feb. 11 following a planned refurbishment, was also found through recent tests to comply with state pollutant limits, according to Friday’s release. Testing of the unit conducted on Feb. 25 and 26 found levels of dioxins and furans were 96% below the state limit.
The county’s Environmental Protection Department received the test results for Unit 1 and 3 on March 17, according to Friday’s release. The department received the test results for Unit 2 on April 7.
Next steps
Jennifer Macedonia, the county’s director of environmental protection, told reporters at a Dec. 17 news conference after the emissions exceedance at Unit 3 that her department would be working with third-party professionals to evaluate possible health risks stemming from the release of pollutants from the Dickerson facility.
- Advertisement -
According to Friday’s press release, the department “has formally engaged a risk assessor to conduct an assessment” and will share the results with the public once they are available. The department expects to receive an initial document later this month, while the final assessment is “on track to be released in fall,” according to the statement.
At the same news conference on Dec. 17, Elrich told reporters that the county cannot continue to rely on the Dickerson facility for waste management over the long term.
“The larger issue here isn’t a single tear or a single boiler. It’s that this aging facility that relies on outdated technology can be a threat to public health and the environment,” he said at the time.
Elrich (D) has long pushed for the Dickerson incinerator to be replaced with a more sustainable advanced waste processing facility. He included funding to support the facility’s closure in his proposed county operating budget for fiscal year 2027, which begins July 1.
Elrich’s proposed operating budget is under review by the County Council. Council President Natali Fani-González has said she will not ask the council to decide about the facility’s closure until after the fiscal year 2027 budget has been adopted, though another councilmember could attempt to raise the issue sooner.
Digital Partners
Originally published at Bethesdamagazine