ACTION ALERTS – Incinerator Extension and Solar Bill Concerns

Dickerson Incinerator – Not Another Seven Years

The Montgomery County Council could vote over the next few weeks to reassess operation of the County’s trash incinerator. The incinerator is the County’s single largest source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental groups have pushed for its closure for years. So have many County leaders.

If the council does not vote soon, the company that operates the incinerator will automatically get a contract extension on March 25 to burn the County’s trash for up to seven more years!

Now is the time to weigh in and demand that the county S T O P that contract extension and hold a public hearing on the issue.

Email council members T O D A Y via the council’s website.

Your voice could make all the difference. Council members pay close attention to emails from the County residents. For background, read this.

State Bill Threatens Ag Reserve

Proposed legislation in the Maryland legislature would eclipse County law that currently prohibits siting industrial-scale solar facilities on good quality farmland.

If passed as written the bill would override Montgomery County law that protects farmland in the Ag Reserve. You can read about those restrictions on our website.

Montgomery County Sen. Brian Feldman is chief sponsor of the legislation—The Renewable Energy Certainty Act (SB 931/ HB1036).

We oppose the bill as written. The Montgomery County Council opposes it as well.

We urge you to do the same by emailing Sen. Feldman and other District 15 lawmakers: Linda Foley, David Fraser-Hidalgo and Lily Qi.

The bill is scheduled for a hearing on February 28th. So please act now. The message is simple:

Please amend this legislation to prevent the siting of large solar energy and/or battery storage facilities on good quality farmland throughout the state. More solar is needed in Maryland but it should not supplant farmland. Counties must retain a say on where energy facilities are placed.

More on this subject:

• Abell Foundation “Getting Solar Siting Right in Maryland”

• Farmland Solar Policy Design Toolkit (U-VT and USDA)

• “Where solar arrays shouldn’t go is as critical as where they do go” - Lee Epstein, Chesapeake Bay Foundation director of Lands Programs

Reactions to SB 931:

• WBOC: Maryland Senate Bill on Renewable Energy Sparks Debate Over Local Authority

• New Organization Farmers Alliance for Rural Maryland is pushing back against Data Centers, Battery Storage and other industrial uses on Ag Zoned lands

• From Delmarva Farmer: Shore growers meet to beat Maryland bill

• Maryland Association of Counties opposes SB931 and offers amendments

Last Call

If you have an interest in serving on SCA’s Board of Directors, or know someone who might, please contact us at info@sugarloafcitizens.org. We have open slots for the period of service April 2025 to April 2026 but always prefer a multi-year commitment. Service on the board is a great way to get engaged in local land-use, environmental and Ag Reserve issues.

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