Residents Reminded to Consult Their Medical Suppliers for Proper Ways to Dispose of Dangerous Medical Waste

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has discovered an increase in medical waste being placed in curbside recycling bins by residents. DEP reminds residents that medical suppliers are the best sources to explain proper methods of disposal of medical waste items.

Medical waste items may contaminate an entire bin of acceptable recyclable materials and, if collected, pose a significant danger to the health and safety of the employees that collect and process recycling.

Examples of medical waste items that have been found inappropriately mixed in with recyclable materials at the Recycling Center include plastic intravenous fluid (IV) bags, plastic respirator and medical equipment tubing, CPAP masks and syringes (including sharps used for injections and plastic syringes used for flushing IV lines). These items should never be placed into blue recycling bins for recycling collection.

Information on how to recycle or dispose of medical sharps and syringes is available here.

For a complete list of items that can be recycled in the County’s recycling program is available at on the DEP website or by calling 3-1-1 or 240-777-0311.

‘Rainscapes' Increased Rebates’ Available for Property Owners Who Implement Stormwater Projects

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection’s RainScapes program is now awarding increased “Rewards Rebates” for residential, commercial and institutional property owners who implement efforts to help control stormwater runoff. RainScapes is one of the signature water quality programs of the Department of Environmental Protection. It offers technical and financial assistance to encourage property owners to install environmentally-friendly landscaping solutions that enhance properties and reduce runoff to local streams.

RainScapes projects include rain gardens, conservation landscapes, green roofs, permeable pavers, rain barrels and cisterns. For all pending and future RainScapes projects, the maximum per property Rewards Rebate has increased to $7,500 per residential property, and $20,000 for properties owned by commercial entities, institutions, homeowner associations or nonprofit organizations. The new rebate maximums are three times greater than the previous residential rebate and twice as large as the previous institutional maximum.

The new rebate schedule went into effect on Oct. 1 and will include pending projects. Since the launch of the RainScapes Rewards Rebate Program 11 years ago, 987 rebates have been distributed totaling $511,481.63. Properties owners who had installed RainScapes projects and received the maximum rebate under the old threshold, may now add more projects.

More information about the Rainscapes program, including information on how to apply for rebates, is available at rainscapes.org.

Retired Marine Sergeant Kenneth Serfass will portray “President Ulysses S. Grant” at Montgomery County Civil War Roundtable

Retired Marine Sergeant Kenneth Serfass will portray “President Ulysses S. Grant” at the Nov. meeting of the Montgomery County Civil War Roundtable. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. at the Gaithersburg Hilton located at 620 Perry Parkway. A $5 donation is requested.

Montgomery County Again Among Best in Nation for Fiscal Responsibility with Triple-A Bond Rating for 2018

County Executive Ike Leggett recently announced that Montgomery County has maintained its Triple-A bond rating for 2018 from all three Wall Street bond rating agencies.

Fitch, Moody’s, and Standard & Poor’s all affirmed the “AAA” rating – the highest achievable -- for the County. They all termed Montgomery County’s outlook as “stable.”

The Triple-A bond rating enables Montgomery County to sell long-term bonds at the most favorable rates, saving County taxpayers millions of dollars over the life of the bonds. The rating also serves as a benchmark for numerous other financial transactions, ensuring the lowest possible costs in those areas as well.

Read the press release for more information. 

Early Voting to Open on Oct. 25; Register to Vote During Early Voting

Montgomery County early voting is open through Thursday, Nov. 1. Early voting sites are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting results are tallied on election night, just like votes cast on Election Day. If you vote early, you may not vote by mail or on Election Day.

Did you miss the deadline to vote?
Did you miss the October 16 deadline to register to vote? During early voting, you may register to vote the same day you vote. To register, you must have a valid identification or other proof of residency. Once you register, you will be issued a ballot. This opportunity is not available on Election Day.

More information is available on early voting here.

• Map of Early Voting Centers.
• Official Voter Guide and Sample Ballot.
• MD Board of Elections

Microgrid Activates Energy Resilience, Sustainability at Montgomery County Public Safety Headquarters and Correctional Facility

Montgomery County activated two advanced microgrids for its Public Safety Headquarters (PSHQ) in Gaithersburg and Correctional Facility in Boyds on Wednesday, Oct. 24. The activation ceremony took place at 100 Edison Park Drive in Gaithersburg. The microgrids are on-site clean power generation systems, which permit both facilities to operate independently from the power grid to ensure continuity of operations in the event of a catastrophic storm or major power outage.

The completed project is provided through an innovative public-private partnership with Schneider Electric and Duke Energy Renewables that required no upfront costs for the County. The on-site power generation at these two sites is anticipated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to removing 1,400 cars from the road or planting 178,000 new trees.

The County ‘s PSHQ microgrid achieved Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal (PEER) certification from Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) and is the first Maryland project and public safety headquarters to earn certification. PEER is the world’s first certification program that measures and improves power system performance and electricity infrastructure. Through certification, PEER recognizes industry leaders for improving efficiency and sustainability, day-to-day reliability and resilience in the face of severe events.

Given the Schneider Electric and Duke Energy Renewables public-private partnership made the project possible with no upfront capital costs, the County’s other budget priorities were not affected. As part of the agreement, Duke Energy Renewables will own and operate both microgrids with the assistance of Schneider Electric. The two advanced microgrids will produce over 11 million kWh per year with solar and combined heat and power.

The microgrids continue Montgomery County’s work of delivering superior government service with the smallest environmental footprint. Through energy efficiency, renewable energy investment and energy purchases, Montgomery County is a carbon-neutral government. The collective savings for county residents are expected to be $70 million over the next 20 years through energy efficiency improvements, negotiations with energy suppliers, and solar energy generation on County facilities.

Read more about the projects here.

Montgomery County’s Department of General Services 2018 Project Management Symposium

The Montgomery County Department of General Services and PMI, Montgomery County Chapter hosted a two-day Project Management Symposium on Oct. 17 and 18. The symposium is Maryland’s largest project management symposium. The conference included seminars and discussions on a variety of project management knowledgeable areas applicable across disciplines and industries.

The event featured Capital Region Counties, University of Maryland, University College and The Catholic Universities of American.

PMI presented a certificate of excellence to Montgomery County’s Director of General Service David E. Dise, in recognition of and appreciation for outstanding support and leadership for working to enhance collaboration across Montgomery County jurisdictions and instill best practices in project management.

Marriott International Headquarters Construction Underway

Construction for the Marriott International Headquarters is underway. The new headquarters will be located at 7750 Wisconsin Ave. at Norfolk Ave., a short distance from the Bethesda Metro. The complex is expected to open in mid-2022.

Equipment and material deliveries, environmental and safety controls, excavation, hauling and drilling operations that include trucks entering and exiting the site along Woodmont Avenue are part of what is happening during the construction. Anyone interested in receiving development updates on the construction project can sign up here. 

 More information on the project is available here.

Dangers of Vaping that Parents and Students Should Know

The principal of Winston Churchill High School Brandice C. Heckert reached out to inform the school community on the dangers of vaping. Heckert indicated that vaping is on the rise and it is important to address the issue at both schools and at home.

• What is vaping?
• Vaping and teens
• The promise of vaping and the rise of Juul
• Some truths about vaping
• What do they look like?
• View images of vapes recently confiscated.

Male Health Symposium Scheduled for Nov. 10

The Gaithersburg-Rockville Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Inc. is partnering with the African American Health Program, and the Washington D.C. Chapter of Black Nurses Rock to present their 2018 Male Health Symposium. The free event is scheduled for Nov. 10 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the North Potomac Community Recreation Center located at 13840 Travilah Road in Rockville.

The symposium will include health and wellness topics affecting men. Free health screenings, fitness instruction, and healthy eating classes are included throughout the day. Refreshments will be served.

• More information about the event is available here.