DEP 2021 Year In Review
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is releasing its 2021 Year in Review video with department highlights from the past year. The video features Dep’s Acting Director, Adriana Hochberg, and staff describing accomplishments and innovative programs from 2021.
Highlights include:
Climate Action Plan - released in June and is one of the most ambitious climate plans in the nation for a local government
Building Energy Performance Standards – expanded the number of buildings covered by benchmarking and requiring those buildings to meet an energy performance standard in line with County climate goals
Removing #6 Polystyrene Food Service Products and Plastic straws – proposed and oversaw the passing of bills to remove these non-recyclable materials from the environment and reduce waste
Tree Montgomery – planted more than 2,000 shade trees in 2021 and recommended the Black Tupelo as the new County tree
Expanded Outreach to Front-Line Communities – worked with community-based organizations, to build a new community engagement process, to co-design and co-create policies and programs
Plogging Campaign – volunteers picked up more than 12,000 pounds of trash before it entered our waterways
“Critters in Crisis” – launched list of stream bugs, amphibians, and fish at risk due to poor water quality
RainScapes – highest demand for projects in 2021
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - developed equity map to assist in evaluating processes to address innovation and equity in program delivery and community engagement
“Every day, the DEP staff is working hard for the County to increase recycling, manage stormwater and save energy,” said Acting DEP Director, Adriana Hochberg. “While we accomplished a lot in 2021, our work for 2022 is underway and includes planning upgrades to the recycling facility, legislation to address bacteria contamination by septic systems, legislation concerning gas powered leaf blowers, and more. We hope residents follow our work on social media and on our website.”
DEP started the annual department-wide Year in Review in 2020 to share the work of the department with the public and help residents and businesses understand how DEP is making our County a cleaner and greener place to live, work and play.
Visit our website: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dep/
#GreenNewYear #YearInReview
