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 FY19 Operating Budget for the Department of Environmental Protection is $30,659,857, an increase of $387,865 or 1.28 percent from the FY18 Approved Budget of $30,271,992. Personnel Costs comprise 37.55 percent of the budget for 91 full-time position(s) and no part-time position(s), and a total of 107.97 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 62.45 percent of the FY19 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 $6,148,600 is required in FY19 for Water Quality Protection bonds.

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

Linkage to County Result Areas

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

• Healthy and Sustainable Neighborhoods
• A Responsive, Accountable County 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 FY18 estimates reflect funding based on the FY18 approved budget. The FY19 and FY20 figures are performance targets based on the FY19 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY20.

Accomplishments

• Completed construction of seven storm water pond retrofits, 29 environmental site design/low impact development projects, and two stream restoration projects for a total of 158.7 impervious acres restored by the CIP program. Using information and data collected under the MS4 and Water Quality Protection Charge Programs documented 850 impervious acres restored by non-CIP efforts. Over 2,927 impervious acres have been restored, achieving 77% of the restoration goal.
• Reduced 11,351 pounds of total phosphorus in several watersheds including the Anacostia and Rock Creek. Reduced 20,986 pounds of nitrogen in the Anacostia watershed.
• Planted nearly 600 trees for a total of 1,085 trees through Tree Montgomery (through March 2017), utilizing funds provided by the Tree Canopy Law.
• DEP's Watershed Restoration Grant Program has awarded 23 grants totaling nearly $1 million through two competitive grant rounds.
• Supported, in partnership with the Department of Finance, eleven commercial property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) projects totaling more than $7.6 million. Additionally, DEP led the establishment of the Montgomery County Green Bank, including recruitment of the initial Board of Directors, and facilitated the Board's recruitment of the Green Bank's first Chief Executive Officer.
• Responded to over 1,700 environmental complaints and requests related to air, water quality, illegal dumping, noise, and other environmental compliance issues.
• Managed the Green Business Certification Program, developed in conjunction with the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, which recognizes more than 80 County businesses and organizations that take steps to reduce their ecological footprint, demonstrating innovative leadership and helping the County transition to a sustainable future.

Initiatives

• Continue to evaluate opportunities to report to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) restored impervious surface due to non-CIP measures including partnerships with other agencies and continued use of information and data from newly permitted treatment facilities.
• Identify opportunities for enhanced cooperation between the County and M-NCPPC to integrate activities associated with meeting requirements under their respective Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits.
• Continued leadership and participation in discussions with MDE and other MS4 jurisdictions on the requirements for the FY19-24 MS4 permit to ensure a clear understanding of the impact of restoration actions to date as well as the continued need for actions to improve local water quality.
• Continued support of the Green Bank initiatives as new financing products and mechanisms are made available to local businesses to increase the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
• DEP's Office of Sustainability will continue to implement programs for residents and businesses designed to help them reduce their environmental footprint and save money. Included among these are the Energy Coach network, designed to help residents reduce their energy use and costs; Tree Montgomery, which continues to grow the number of trees planted each year; and expansion of the Green Business Certification program to recognize additional businesses, such as farmers, who adopt sustainable business practices.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Continued evaluation of progress in meeting the requirements of the County's MS4 Permit using data and information to show continued progress towards restoring 3,778 impervious acres.
• Issued a solicitation and entered into Pay for Performance contracts for the design and construction of three stormwater management projects that will treat 252 acres of untreated impervious surface. Under the Pay for Performance construct, the vendor must complete the work before being compensated.
• DEP's Stormwater Facility Maintenance Program pre-screened 995 underground (UG) facilities prior to annual maintenance and found 648 facilities required no annual cleaning. This finding saved the County an estimated $2,217,456 (based on an average UG maintenance cost of $3,422 per facility).
• Conducted an evaluation of the RainScapes Rewards for Trees and the Tree Montgomery programs which resulted in the discontinuation of the RainScapes Rewards for Trees program in favor of having one tree program in DEP (Tree Montgomery), leading to better efficiency for tree delivery to residents.
• Developed a more streamlined Best Management Practice (BMP) monitoring program with more efficient study designs, standardized methods, and coordinated monitoring. The first study was initiated in 2017 to evaluate Environmental Site Design (ESD) and impacts to streams surrounding the Clarksburg Premium Outlets. These enhancements and improvements were primarily funded by the new BMP Monitoring Fees which became effective April 13, 2016.

Program Descriptions

  Watershed Management Operations

The Watershed Management Operations Division manages, inspects, and ensures the operational effectiveness of over 12,000 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 goals...

  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...