Montgomery County Yard Trim Compost Facility

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Montgomery County Yard Trim Compost Facility

• Dickerson, MD

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Dickerson Compost Facility
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Operation of Facility

• Facility is owned by County
• Operation is by contract with MES
• Site sits on 117 acres
• Composting is done on 48-acre asphalt pad
• Composting began in 1984 with leaves only
• Now composting leaves grass
• Cycle begins in Nov. with leaves, grass is added
  in Spring, process is completed in Sept.
• Material is screened sold in bags or bulk

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Grinding of Material at Transfer Station
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Windrow composting system is used
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Making of Windrows
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Scarabs are used to turn windrowed material at
140 F
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Screening of Material
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Bagging of Material
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Incoming Yard Trim
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Leafgro Bulk sales
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Bagged Leafgro to Distributors
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Reintroduction of ComPRO for lawns
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Environmental Controls

• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination (NPDES)
  Permit
• Parameters - Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) 100
  mg/l
• Total Suspended Solid
  (TSS)100 mg/l
• pH 6-9
  mg/l
• Permit allows discharge into streams when
  parameters are met
• The Water is usually used to irrigate rows in the
  summer

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Legal Controls

• SCA Agreement of Settlement Compromise - 1996
• Places restrictions on facility
• Limits materials to site to 77,000 tons per year
• Prohibits expansion of facility
• Limits days and hours of operation- M-F
  730-430PM
• County has to meet with SCA periodically and
  prepare two reports a year

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County Facilities in Dickerson