Montgomery County council hears DEP plan for 'Aiming for 0 Waste,' debate grows over timing and contract extension

Montgomery County Council received an extended briefing on Jan. 29 from the Department of Environmental Protection on the county's "Aiming for 0 Waste" initiative and a planned transition away from the Resource Recovery Facility (RRF).

Council President Kate Stewart opened the session, noting the briefing would be informational and that no council action was scheduled that day. John Monger, director of the Department of Environmental Protection, told the council that engineering analysis indicates a minimum of approximately 4—65 years to implement a viable alternative processing-and-haul system and that the county must act quickly to meet an aggressive schedule. "Implementation of any new system for handling our trash will take a minimum of approximately 5 years according to our engineers," Monger said.

Monger described multiple, parallel efforts: expanding recycling and curbside composting, constructing an organics management facility, upgrading the recycling center with AI-enabled sorting equipment, and evaluating long-haul and advanced-processing options. He said the county is simultaneously evaluating systems that range from long-haul trucking or rail to advanced waste processing combined with long haul, and that whichever option is chosen will require capital projects and lead times. "These timelines are aggressive," he said, and the…