Oaks Landfill

The Oaks Landfill is approximately 545 acres with a  waste disposal footprint of 170 acres. This County-owned site is located at 6001 Olney-Laytonsville Road, Maryland. The landfill received mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) from June 1982 until the County’s Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) began operation in the Spring of 1995.

Once the RRF operations began, the landfill received only ash residue and non-processible materials until 1997. By the time the landfill closed in 1997, over 7 million tons of waste had been placed within the disposal footprint. The Oaks Landfill has a leachate pretreatment facility and a gas management facility that will continue to be operated throughout the 30-year post-closure maintenance period. A 2.4-megawatt (MW) landfill gas-to-energy facility started operation in mid-2009 and was decommissioned in 2022 due to poor methane gas generation and quality.

Leachate is collected from the landfill and stored in lined lagoons. The leachate is then pumped to an on-site pre-treatment plant and treated before being transported by truck for discharge into the permitted sanitary sewerage system. Landfill gas blower/flare systems and leachate management systems are checked daily by the plant contractor. Routine site inspections are performed to check for litter, illegal dumping along the site perimeter, erosion, fence damage, and other general maintenance issues.

In September 2019, the Department of General Services issued a Request for Energy Proposals for the Oaks Landfill Solar Photovoltaic Project. It is the County’s intent to install a large-scale ground-mount solar energy system at the former landfill on top of the closed cap. The 6-megawatt ballasted ground mount system will be the largest solar project on County property. The solar energy system is expected to generate 11.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year – enough to power 930 homes. Solar power is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as much as taking 1,740 cars off the road. Learn more about the solar project.

Groundwater, Surface Water, and Methane Gas Monitoring Data

View Oaks monitoring data.

Self-Guided Tours by Appointment Only

Contact Dan Rogers at Daniel.Rogers@montgomerycountymd.gov to schedule a self-guided tour and provide the following information in the self-guided tour request:

• Individual/Organization Name
• Number of people planning to tour the landfill
• Proposed time for self-guided tour
• Touring location and purpose for the tour

Please wait for Mr. Dan Rogers to respond before touring the landfill.
Self-guided tours are by appointment only. Unwelcomed guests will be asked to leave and local police will be notified.

Oaks Landfill – Solar Field and Leachate Pre-Treatment Plant Aerial Views

The Blue Mash Nature Trail, near Laytonsville in Montgomery County, lies in the buffer area of the former Oaks Landfill, which closed in 1997. After the landfill closed, the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection worked with staff from the Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, an advisory commission, and members of the local community to plan the trail. The Department of Environmental Protection opened the Nature Trail and an adjoining mixed-use trail (for hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders) in 2001. The natural-surfaced Nature Trail is approximately 1.6 miles long with a nice mixture of habitats and a corresponding variety of birds. Because of the diverse habitat, including two ponds, fields, thickets, and both young and mature woods, many different families of birds can be seen including songbirds, flycatchers, waterfowl, shorebirds, herons, and raptors. The Nature Trail is a level, circuit-route trail that conveniently begins and ends at the parking lot of Zion Road. Lastly, the Blue Mash Nature Trail is maintained by the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.