Ash residue from the County’s Resource Recovery Facility (RRF/waste-to-energy plant) would be reused and recycled and the recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) debris would be increased under an amendment to the County’s waste transportation and disposal contract proposed by Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett.

In forwarding the proposed amendment to the County Council, Leggett said, “The recycling of ash and additional C&D recycling will have both financial and environmental benefits for Montgomery County.”

Under the terms of the amendment, the County will receive a credit of $2.50 for each ton of ash beneficially reused or recycled. The County will also receive 17.5 percent of sales revenues from any additional metals recovered from the ash (most metals are already removed and recycled at the RRF). Savings on the approximately $11 million per year waste transportation and disposal contract with Brunswick Waste Management Facility, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Republic Waste, will be about $250,000 in FY11 and $500,000 per year through 2017.

The ash will be screened into several sizes and used as road base in modern, lined landfill cells and as alternate daily cover to cover trash. The processed ash replaces virgin materials such as stone and soil that would have to be imported, and in some cases mined, from other locations. This will mean a reduction of fuel use and associated air emissions due to less energy being used to develop road base materials, fewer trucking miles required and reduced construction of additional landfill space.

Once the ash recycling process is in use, Montgomery County will send less than 10 percent of its total waste stream to a landfill for disposal.

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Media contact: Bonnie Ayers, 240-777-6507
Project details: Peter Karasik, Division of Solid Waste Services (DEP), 240-777-6569