Marc Elrich Reverses County Trash Incinerator Stance After Learning It Could Bear His Name

DICKERSON, MD – County Executive Marc Elrich announced Monday that he is reconsidering his opposition to rebuilding the Dickerson trash incinerator after learning the facility could be renamed the Marc Elrich Garbage Solutions Center.

Elrich had previously advocated shutting down the aging facility and shipping the county’s garbage elsewhere, allowing Montgomery County to export its trash problems rather than burn them here. But his position reportedly softened within four seconds of an aide saying the words “ribbon cutting,” and “your name in 40-foot letters.”

“Look, I’ve spent years trying to make Montgomery County a better place,” Elrich explained. “If that means sending our garbage to another county, I’m prepared to make that sacrifice. But if we’re talking about a permanent monument to my legacy, I think we owe it to future generations to explore every option.”

Elrich dimissed criticism of County Council members, who are weighing whether to rebuild the facility or shut it down, expressed concern that the proposal could further complicate an already difficult decision. He insisted an environmental study would prove that renaming the incinerator after himself would help reduce its emissions problems.

“I’d even support a statue of myself made entirely of recycled garbage,” he said. “A permanent image of me standing heroically by a dumpster would make my legacy truly sustainability.”

At press time, county officials were exploring a compromise under which the incinerator would be rebuilt, renamed after Elrich, and eventually shut down, while the Council weighed the possibility of shipping Marc Elrich to another county instead.