MDE Issues Violation Notice Over Dickerson Incinerator Dioxin Exceedance
DEPDec 17, 2025
Maryland Department of the Environment issued a Notice of Violation to Reworld Montgomery, Inc. after a September 2025 stack test found Unit 3 of the Resource Recovery Facility emitting dioxins and furans at 54.8 ng/dscm—nearly double the permitted 30 ng/dscm limit. A significant tear in the unit's baghouse filter was identified as a contributing cause; Reworld shut down the unit, completed repairs, and conducted an engineering retest on Dec. 1, 2025, which showed emissions within allowable limits. Montgomery County DEP was notified Nov. 14 and says it will engage third-party professionals to evaluate possible health risks.
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Source: Statement - Montgomery County, MD, “Statement from the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection on the Maryland Department of the Environment's Violation Notice to the Operator of the County's Waste-to-Energy Facility”, received Dec 17, 2025.
Links in this alert
This alert didn't include additional links. The primary source is the county email cited above.
Key dates
2025-09-24
event — Stack compliance test conducted on Unit 3 (day 1)
2025-09-25
event — Stack compliance test conducted on Unit 3 (day 2)
2025-11-11
event — Reworld received preliminary stack test results showing dioxin/furan exceedance
2025-11-13
event — Reworld notified MDE of September test results; MDE issued Notice of Violation
2025-11-14
event — Montgomery County DEP notified of test results after Unit 3 shutdown
2025-12-01
event — Reworld completed repairs and conducted engineering retest of Unit 3; emissions within allowable range
Recycling and Resource Management Division · Jun 12, 2026
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