The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is considering renewing a Title V air pollution operating permit for the BRESCO incinerator, and it’s up to us to tell MDE to DENY THE PERMIT at the public hearing on October 1.
Public Hearing on BRESCO Permit Renewal
6:00–8:00PM on Thursday, October 1, 2026
Curtis Bay Rec Center (1630 Filbert St.)
RSVP
As a study published last year showed, the BRESCO incinerator and Curtis Bay Energy incinerator are major sources of air pollution that contribute to serious health problems in our communities, together associated with more than $100 million in annual health-related damages — a figure that only accounts for four pollutants and falls disproportionately on communities that have long faced environmental injustice. BRESCO, Baltimore’s largest single source of air pollution, also generates hundreds of thousands of tons of ash every year containing toxins like lead, mercury, and dioxins, making it the single largest material filling up the city and county landfills. Despite long-standing community concerns, MDE has denied access for basic public health-based testing of the ash to assess the risk to our communities.
Our community has already achieved an important victory by ending Maryland’s recognition of trash incineration as renewable energy. Now it is time for MDE, the City of Baltimore, and our public institutions to take the next step to hold these polluters accountable for public harms and DENY THE PERMIT.
Come to the hearing on Thursday, October 1, make your voice heard, and urge MDE to protect public health and the future of South Baltimore communities.
