Montgomery County Yard Trim Compost Facility

Dickerson, MD

Dickerson Compost Facility

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

Grinding of Material at Transfer Station

Windrow composting system is used

Making of Windrows

Scarabs are used to turn windrowed material at 140° F

Screening of Material

Bagging of Material

Incoming Yard Trim

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

Fiscal Year

Ton

nage

Tons 31,848 34,097 46,652 58,545 61,997 59,100 59,800 60,400 59,643 63,634 81,131 78000

FY93 FY94 FY95 FY96 FY97 FY98 FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 Est

Leafgro Bulk sales

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000FY94

FY95

FY96

FY97

FY98

FY99

FY00

FY01

FY02

FY03

FY04 EstCY 29,843 30,988 28,881 56,271 71,487 57,854 54,183 53,149 53891 35,000 55000

FY94 FY95 FY96 FY97 FY98 FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 Est

Bagged Leafgro to Distributors

Reintroduction of ComPRO for lawns

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

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 7:30-4:30PM• County has to meet with SCA periodically and

prepare two reports a year

County Facilities in Dickerson