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 Division of Solid Waste Services is $117,222,773, an increase of $7,262,411 or 6.60 percent from the FY19 Approved Budget of $109,960,362. Personnel Costs comprise 10.61 percent of the budget for 80 full-time position(s) and two part-time position(s), and a total of 106.24 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 89.39 percent of the FY20 budget.

The primary cost increases in FY20 for the Division are related to contractually mandated increases to service contracts, the continuation of capital equipment purchases according to the Division's equipment replacement schedule, and increased operating costs for Solid Waste facilities.

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

• DEP completed its work to develop the Strategic Plan to Advance Composting, Compost Use, and Food Scraps Diversion, and the report was published in April 2018. In developing this plan, DEP brought together over 200 stakeholders representing the public and private sectors, to gain valuable expertise and insight, and work together toward consensus on a broad range of relevant issues.

Initiatives

• DEP will expand its efforts to make it feasible and conducive for businesses that generate food scraps to source separate food scraps, contract for recycling collection service, and recycle more. Specific alternatives for this processing capacity are still being identified, and the costs are being determined. Additional alternatives for processing larger volumes of food waste in future years continue to be evaluated, including the construction of aerobic or anaerobic food scrap processing systems in Montgomery County.

  
  
• As a result of the Shady Grove Transfer Station facility condition assessment, DEP will improve the safe and effective operations of its facilities by improving fire detection and suppression systems, traffic queuing and flow, roadway markings, and tipping floor unloading procedures. These latter improvements will decrease queuing time and expedite on-site traffic flow.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• The Transfer Station received permission from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to conduct a four-month paint freezing pilot program in FY19. Freezing paint changes the state of the product from a liquid waste to a solid waste, permits the frozen paint to be disposed of on the Transfer Station tipping floor, and eliminates the need to contract out the processing and disposal of the paint.

  
  

• DEP is working with Finance and a software developer to implement a credit card system at the Transfer Station which is expected to be operational by the end of FY19. The new transaction method will expedite traffic flow at the Shady Grove Scale House.

Program Descriptions

  Food Waste Organics Recycling

This program is designed to promote recycling of food scraps as part of the County's overall effort to increase recycling, and to reduce the amount of food waste within the County. The program includes initiatives to recycle food scraps and other acceptable organic materials, generated by the single-family residential, multi-family...

  Administration and Support

Provides support to the Department's operations, programs, and mission. It provides overall management and policy direction to core professional services like budget and financial management, contract management, and information technology services management. The program's mission is to:Develop and evaluate CIP and operating budgets in a strategic and economically responsible manner...

  Commercial Recycling

This program provides for mandatory commercial sector recycling and waste reduction for all businesses, as well as the review of recycling and waste reduction plans and annual reports from all large and medium-sized businesses and targeted small businesses. Through this program, technical support, assistance, education, outreach, and training is provided...

  Enforcement

Enforcement provided by the Department of Housing and Community Affairs under this program consists of six related components. Staff respond to resident complaints dealing with: storage and removal of solid waste; illegal solid waste dumping activities in the County; storage of unregistered vehicles on private property throughout the County; storage...

  Dickerson Compost Facility

This program includes all processing, transporting, composting, and marketing of yard trim received by the County, including leaves received from the County's Leaf Vacuuming Program. Processing includes grinding brush to produce mulch at the Transfer Station, located in Derwood; and for hauling leaves and grass from the Transfer Station to...

  Dickerson Master Plan Implementation

This program provides for the implementation of the Dickerson Solid Waste Facilities Master Plan. This plan identifies the environmental, community, and operational effects of solid waste facilities in the Dickerson area (the RRF, the Site 2 Landfill, and the Compost Facility) and outlines policies and actions to mitigate those effects....

  Gude Landfill

The purpose of this program is to monitor air and water quality around the landfill, maintain stormwater management and erosion control structures, maintain site roads, and manage the landfill gas through collection and flaring systems. In addition, the program encompasses all operational functions necessary to maintain the Gude Landfill, which...

  Household & Small Quantity Hazardous Waste Management

This program funds a contractor to receive, sort, pack, ship, and properly dispose of household hazardous waste such as flammable products, insecticides, mercury, and reactive and corrosive chemicals. These products are brought in by residents and processed at State and Federally-approved hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. This program...

  Multi-Family Recycling

This program provides for mandatory recycling and waste reduction for multi-family properties. Program efforts include technical support, assistance, education, outreach and training about waste reduction, reuse, recycling and buying recycled products, in addition to the review and monitoring of waste reduction and recycling plans and annual reports. This program also...

  Oaks Landfill

This program maintains the closed Oaks Landfill in an environmentally sound and cost-effective manner in accordance with applicable State and Federal regulations. Mandated duties under this program include maintaining monitoring wells for landfill gas and water quality around the landfill; managing landfill gas through collection, flaring, and gas-to-energy systems; maintaining...

  Out Of County Refuse Disposal

This program provides for the rail shipment of ash residue that is designated for recycling from the RRF to Fulton Rail Yard near Richmond, Virginia, where it is unloaded and transported by truck to the Old Dominion Landfill, a contracted landfill where the ash is processed for further metals removal...

  Recycling Outreach And Education

This program provides for broadly educating everyone living, visiting, and working in the County about waste reduction, reuse, recycling, buying recycled products, backyard and on-site composting, and grasscycling, and the need to comply with applicable County laws. Public education is an important effort which supports solid waste program goals and...

  Satellite Sites

This program provides for the operation of a satellite drop-off site at the Poolesville Highway Services Depot. Residents can bring bulky materials to this site. The site, which operates only on Saturday, provides drop-off for bulky waste items as a convenience to County residents and reduces the incidence of roadside...

  Transfer Station

The purpose of this program is to provide a receiving, processing, and shipping facility for municipal solid waste generated within the County. In addition to regular trash, waste that is handled or recycled includes scrap metal, oil and anti-freeze, textiles, car batteries, and construction material. County staff operates the scale-house...

  Yard Trim Reduction

The purpose of this program is to provide education and training to residents, multi-family properties, and businesses to reduce the amount of yard trim materials (grass, leaves, and brush) generated and also to manage what is generated on-site through grasscycling, backyard, or on-site composting, thus reducing the amount of yard...

  Recycling Center

This program provides for the separation, processing, and marketing of recyclable materials (mixed paper, cardboard, aluminum, glass, metal, and plastic). The Recycling Center receives recyclable material collected under the County curbside collection program, as well as some materials from municipalities and multi-family properties and non-residential properties which have established recycling...

  Residential Collection

This program administers Countywide contracts with private collectors for collection of residential refuse and recyclables, and responds to the service needs of residents. Staff processes service requests from MC311 to ensure timely fulfillment by collection contractors. This program also provides for enforcement of the County's recycling regulations as they apply...

  Resource Recovery Facility & Related Waste Transfer

This program provides for the operation of the Montgomery County Resource Recovery Facility (RRF). The RRF serves as the primary disposal facility for non-recycled waste generated in the County. Renewable energy in the form of electricity is generated by the combustion of municipal solid waste and is sold into the...

  Site 2

This program provides for the management of properties acquired for a potential future landfill. All properties are leased and/or used by private residents. Management activities include the inspection, evaluation, and maintenance of leased agricultural land, single-family dwellings, and agricultural buildings. Activities are coordinated with the Department of General Services as...

  Support for Recycling Volunteers

The mission of this program is to recruit and retain recycling volunteers to augment available staff resources to educate the general public and thereby improve participation in waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and buying recycled programs. This resident-to-resident and peer-to-peer contact is very effective in motivating people living, visiting, and working...

  Waste System Planning

This program supports the planning and development of solid waste programs in accordance with the mandates of the County's Ten Year Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan. This may include evaluating existing source reduction, recycling, composting, collection, and disposal programs and policies with the intent of achieving solid waste program goals....