The Montgomery County Council today recognized the County’s Division of Solid Waste Services and Maryland Environmental Service for earning the National Solid Waste Association of North America’s 2007 Gold Excellence Award in the Waste Reduction, Recycling and Composting Division.

The County’s Materials Recycling Facility accrued approximately $3.4 million in revenue from commingled materials (nearly $185,000 more than the facility’s operating expenses) and provided recycling education and facility tours to 4,576 visitors. Councilmember Marilyn Praisner presented proclamations to Dan Locke, division chief of the Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services, and Jim Harkins, director of Maryland Environmental Service.

Photo Caption:
Pictured left to right:  Arthur Holmes, Montgomery County Director of Public Works; Dan Locke, Chief, Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services; Peter Karasik, Section Chief, Division of Solid Waste Services Operations Section; Councilmember Marilyn Praisner; Tom Kusterer, Montgomery County Program Manager of the Recycling Center;  Maclane Gibson, MES Chief of Solid Waste Operations; Jim Harkins, MES Director; Steve Tomczewski, MES Executive Director of Environmental Operations; Ken Shuman, MES Senior Operations Manager for the Montgomery County Recycling Center

The proclamation read:   

Whereas, the mission of the Montgomery County Solid Waste Services Division is to manage the County’s municipal solid waste in an environmentally and economically sound manner; and 

Whereas, the County’s goal is to recycle 50 percent of the municipal solid waste stream through an integrated solid waste management system that includes waste reduction, reuse and recycling; and 

Whereas, for more than 40 years, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has been the leading professional association in the solid waste management field, serving more than 8,000 members and thousands more industry professionals with technical conferences, certifications, publications and a large offering of technical training courses; and 

Whereas, the Materials Recovery Facility, which is operated by the Maryland Environmental Service in partnership with the County, has an exemplary safety record and is managed in an environmentally responsible manner, and 

Whereas, in Fiscal Year 2007, Montgomery County’s Materials Recovery Facility and its 40 employees handled approximately 104,000 tons of mixed paper and commingled recyclables, accrued approximately $3.4 million in revenue from commingled materials (nearly $185,000 more than the facility’s operating expenses), provided high quality customer service, recycling education and offered tours to 4,576 visitors; 

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the County Council of Montgomery County, Maryland hereby congratulates the Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation, Division of Solid Waste Services and The Maryland Environmental Service for maintaining standards at the highest national levels as recognized by the Solid Waste Association of North America Waste Reduction & Composting Division’s Recycling Systems’ 2007 Gold Excellence Award. 

Signed this 22^nd day of January in the year 2008.

Michael J. Knapp
Council President