Summary
The county must decide whether to close the Dickerson incinerator by January 2027 and truck waste to out-of-county landfills, or spend an estimated $356 million refurbishing it. Environmental justice, truck traffic, and composting capacity are all in play; a decision is targeted for this fall.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 6
- Last 30 days
- 1
Rising — discussed at 3 meetings since Sep 15, 2026, up from 1 in the two months before.
Impact analysis
Refurbishing the incinerator could cost about $356 million; long-haul trucking means per-ton costs and possible price volatility.
Depends on the choice — closing could shift burdens to out-of-county landfill communities; keeping it preserves local control.
Communities hosting landfills — currently a community of color in Henrico County, Virginia, receiving county ash — bear environmental burdens.
Mentions & discussions (6)
Council Session - Oct 27, 2026
The Council is deciding whether to keep the Resource Recovery Facility (incinerator) open long-term or close it and truck waste to out-of-county landfills. A resolution was introduced with action set for November 10.
Council Session - Sep 29, 2026
The county must decide whether to keep the Dickerson Resource Recovery Facility running for decades or transition to hauling waste out of county. ReWorld argued keeping the incinerator is cheaper and cleaner; DEP and the executive lean toward option three with advanced waste processing. Ratepayers will feel this in their solid waste bills either way.
Council Session - Sep 15, 2026
The county must decide by Thanksgiving whether to keep the Resource Recovery Facility incinerator running with major upgrades or close it and truck waste to out-of-county landfills. Either way, residents face rate increases — about $116 a year for single-family homes and $43 for multifamily. The long-haul option would add roughly 80 truckloads a day on local roads.
Council Session - Jul 28, 2026
The county must decide whether to close the Dickerson incinerator by January 2027 and truck waste to out-of-county landfills, or spend an estimated $356 million refurbishing it. Environmental justice, truck traffic, and composting capacity are all in play; a decision is targeted for this fall.
Council Session - May 6, 2026
The Council kicked the incinerator close-or-keep decision out of the budget and into a fall worksession, funding current operations for FY27 and requiring Council approval before any contracts change the county's solid waste approach. DEP warns delay raises long-haul trucking and composting costs.
TE Committee Worksession - Apr 20, 2026
The County Executive's budget assumes the county's trash incinerator closes mid-year, with waste trucked out of county instead. Keeping it open through FY27 would cost an extra $4.4 million — and the committee couldn't agree, so the full council will decide.
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