Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is to enhance the quality of life in our community by protecting and improving Montgomery County's air, water, and land in a sustainable way while fostering smart growth, a thriving economy, and healthy communities.

Budget Overview

The total recommended FY20 Operating Budget for the Department of Environmental Protection is $31,988,144, an increase of $1,279,779 or 4.17 percent from the FY19 Approved Budget of $30,708,365. Personnel Costs comprise 37.72 percent of the budget for 92 full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 109.87 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 62.28 percent of the FY20 budget.

The debt service for the Water Quality Protection Fund is appropriated in the Debt Service Fund and is, therefore, not displayed in this section. To pay for the debt service, a transfer of funds from the Water Quality Protection Fund to the Debt Service Fund of $6,361,900 is required in FY20 for Water Quality Protection bonds.

In addition, this department's Capital Improvements Program (CIP) requires Current Revenue funding.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:

• A Greener County
• Effective, Sustainable Government

Department Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY19 estimates reflect funding based on the FY19 approved budget. The FY20 and FY21 figures are performance targets based on the FY20 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY21.

Accomplishments

• Successfully met the requirements of the Consent Decree and the 2010 MS4 permit, in Calendar Year 2018 by completing the impervious surface restoration requirement and implementing and identifying stormwater management controls for an additional 3,781 acres.
• Fulfilled the Supplemental Environmental Project requirement of the Consent Decree in Calendar Year 18 by completing the construction of two bioretention practices and one rain garden at Olney Elementary School. A celebration of this accomplishment was held on site with the County Executive, students, teachers, PTA representatives, Maryland Department of the Environment, local watershed groups, and parents.
• During FY18, the County's Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) Financing program accepted an additional ten projects, resulting in the implementation of more than $6 million in privately funded improvements to commercial buildings.
• Continued planting trees through Tree Montgomery utilizing funds provided by the Tree Canopy Law. The total number of shade trees planted through the program is more than 2,200, earning over 7 acres of impervious area restored under the MS4 permit.
• Responded to over 1,800 environmental complaints and requests related to air, water quality, illegal dumping, noise, and other environmental compliance issues in FY18.
• As part of the multi-agency Montgomery County Climate Mobilization Workgroup, submitted a comprehensive report outlining 100+ measures to move the County toward decarbonization by 2035, a goal established by the County Council through a December 2017 resolution.
• Since 2016, DEP's Residential Energy Program has engaged more than 20,000 residents at over 250 events about ways to reduce their energy use and save money. Events have been held at congregations, libraries, senior centers, schools, and Manna food distribution sites in an effort to reach a wide variety of residents. In addition to discussions about ways to save energy, activities have included swapping inefficient incandescent light bulbs for energy saving LEDs, and helping residents sign up for Quick Home Energy Checkups from their electric utility.

Initiatives

• Identify opportunities for enhanced coordination between the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, the Department of General Services, the Department of Permitting Services, Montgomery County Public Schools, municipalities, and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission to integrate activities and requirements in preparation for the next National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit that will be issued to the County in 2019.
• DEP, along with the Department of Health and Human Services and a variety of community service providers, are developing an "energy coach" network to connect County residents and businesses with resources related to energy efficiency and energy assistance.
• Establish partnerships with the Latin American Youth Council and the Conservation Corps to have youth assist DEP with the maintenance of green infrastructure and the dissemination of information about energy saving initiatives.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Enhanced partnerships with other County agencies, State agencies, and utilities to include restoration credit in the County's MS4 permit that was delivered by other agencies.
• DEP is automating the assignment of preventative maintenance and inspection schedules for over 16,000 stormwater management assets. Preventative maintenance schedules will be assigned based on geographic location and property lines which will lead to increased efficiencies in completing preventative maintenance inspections required by the MS4 permit.
• Modified the bag tax reporting database by adding a linkage with the State Business Licensing database. This connection will give DEP and Finance a better mechanism to identify the potential vendors that are not reporting.
• Developed the Tree Montgomery database to manage all aspects of the Tree Montgomery program, including tracking customer applications, providing planting locations and tree species to the planting contractor, and coordinating after-care service.
• As of January 2018, DEP's Stormwater Facility Maintenance Program continues to conduct a triennial maintenance and inspection program of underground facilities as required by State and local law and the MS4 NPDES permit. The results of previously conducted annual inspections determined that they were no longer necessary.

Program Descriptions

  Watershed Management Operations

The Watershed Management Operations Division manages, inspects, and ensures the operational effectiveness of over 16,000 stormwater management facilities, and is also responsible for the structural maintenance of over 5,000 of these facilities. The Watershed Management Operations Division supports watershed-based monitoring, planning, policy development, and reporting to achieve County stream protection...

  Environmental Policy and Compliance

The Division of Environmental Policy and Compliance develops and implements integrated programs which protect and enhance the County's environmental resources and promote sustainable practices by residents, businesses, and the County government. The division analyzes, develops, and implements programs related to air quality, energy conservation and renewable energy, forest and tree...

  Administration

The Office of the Director provides leadership on policy development, implementation, and administration for all departmental programs and management services. The Director's Office is also responsible for planning, development, and administration of water supply and wastewater policies for the County, as well as development of the State-required Montgomery County Comprehensive...