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, innovative, inclusive, and industry-leading way while fostering smart growth, a thriving more sustainable economy, and healthy communities.

Budget Overview

The total approved FY25 Operating Budget for the Department of Environmental Protection is $45,693,162, an increase of $2,679,340 or 6.23 percent from the FY24 Approved Budget of $43,013,822. Personnel Costs comprise 35.88 percent of the budget for 129 full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 132.69 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 64.12 percent of the FY25 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 $10,388,020 for Water Quality Protection bonds is required in FY25.

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

Program 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 FY24 estimates reflect funding based on the FY24 approved budget. The FY25 and FY26 figures are performance targets based on the FY25 approved budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY26.

Initiatives

• Increase funding for Clean Water Montgomery grants (previously Watershed Grants), which earn credit toward the County's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit on private property.
  
• Create new positions for inspections and maintenance of stormwater management facilities throughout the County, including for environmental site designs, above ground structures, and tree plantings.
  
• Add funds to implement a ban on the sale and use of gas-powered leaf blowers, including outreach to affected retailers and lawn care companies, and to fund an electric leaf blower rebate program.
  

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• The Energy, Climate, and Compliance Division developed and issued Executive Regulations to implement the BEPS Law, a cornerstone County climate policy. DEP also onboarded new BEPS staff and is expanding the software platform to manage benchmarking data to accommodate the expanded scope of the Law.
  

• Expand the Charge Montgomery program plan for the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across Montgomery County. This program helps the County educate and engage with the public on EV charging, including a survey and GIS map to visualize current and future charging station locations relative to points of interest and equity census tracts.
  

• Through its Montgomery Energy Connection program, DEP launched Electrify MC pilot program, a residential electrification help desk and direct incentives to encourage residents to switch from fossil fuels to efficient electric options in their home, in advance of the incentives that will be available through the Inflation Reduction Act.

• The DEP Communications and Public Engagement team led and participated in more than 80 community events to inform and educate the public about DEP practices and ways the public can help address climate change and reduce, reuse, and recycle more. In order to meet the needs of the entire County, the department held events in and with frontline communities that are traditionally underserved.

  
  

Program Descriptions

  Watershed Restoration

The Watershed Restoration Division leads the County's efforts to improve stream health and water quality through the targeted planning, design, construction, inspection, and maintenance of best management practices (BMP) built to manage stormwater runoff. The Watershed Restoration Division supports watershed-based monitoring and reporting to achieve County stream protection goals (Montgomery...

  Energy, Climate and Compliance

The Energy, Climate, and Compliance Division develops and implements policies and programs focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing the resilience of the County in the face of a changing climate, and enforces County laws and regulations related to air and water pollution, illegal dumping, noise control, and other...

  Administration

The Office of the Deputy Director provides for overall management of departmental programs to ensure safe and efficient operations, including contract administration management for the department, continuity of operations, oversight of operational programs at the County's Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS), and communications and public engagement. The Office provides...