Our Mission

Enhance the quality of life in our community
by protecting and improving Montgomery County's
air, water, and land in a sustainable, innovative,
inclusive, and industry-leading way while
fostering smart growth, a thriving more sustainable economy and healthy communities.

About DEP

Our Director

DEP Director

Jon Monger serves as Director of the Department of Environmental Protection.

As Director his role is to lead the department’s mission to protect and enhance the quality of life in our community by protecting and improving Montgomery County's air, water, and land.

Previously, Monger served as Assistant Deputy Administrator at the United States Environmental Protection Agency, overseeing critical aspects of agency policy, management, and operational priorities.

In 2010, Monger served as Counsel for the Presidential Commission Investigating the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He has also served as a policy advisor in the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality and as an Oversight Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Divisions

Learn About Us

DEP 2024 Year in Review

photo collage of environmental activitiesWatch the DEP 2024 Year in Review Video on Youtube

Montgomery County's Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) 2024 Year in Review showcases a year of dedication, progress and environmental stewardship, and highlights the department's initiatives, achievements and community engagement from the past year.

Whether it's managing the county’s trash and recycling, transitioning homes and businesses to cleaner energy, or protecting our waterways - our department is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in our community by safeguarding our air, water, and land.

See DEP's 2024 highlights below or watch the 2024 DEP Year in Review on YouTube.

Our Values

The Department of Environmental Protection's core values drive our mission:

  • Accountability: We take responsibility for our decisions and actions and the quality of our work at DEP. We admit to mistakes, correct them, learn from them, and carry on.  We ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely to protect the environment.
  • Commitment: We strive for success and we follow through on our actions as promised. We care about our workforce, our community, and the environment and we use the best science and other knowledge as we work to improve the environment. We work to improve the quality of our services and we work together across DEP divisions to get the job done.
  • Customer Service: We serve the people who live, work, and play in Montgomery County. We listen to our customers (including our co-workers), and we make a positive difference in their lives by providing accurate, timely help in a friendly manner. We communicate clearly on the services offered and assist the public with all the tools we have available to the best of our abilities.
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Just as we value the diversity of the species around us, we commit to giving voice to the diversity of our human experiences. We create a welcoming environment where everyone is valued, respected, heard and matters. We pledge to celebrate the plurality of languages, nationalities, races, religions, sexualities, genders, and (dis)abilities in our community, and engage historically underrepresented members in the creation and enforcement of policies and programs to provide equitable protection to clean land, air, and water, and habitable climate under the law.
  • Integrity: We are honest, fair, humble, and we uphold the highest ethical standards in all actions. We are trustworthy and we hold true to our ethical principles and stand up for what is in the best interest of the community, even (especially) when it is the difficult thing to do. We don't play favorites, we do our work, and we provide factual guidance.
  • Leadership and Action: We are at the forefront of shaping a better future. We advance DEP’s mission and take action based on passion, respect, responsibility and commitment to working with, and for the community. We set goals and follow through to completion, creating positive outcomes for the environment and showing results through our work. We lead by example and we inspire others to do good for our communities.

Racial Equity Vision Statement

DEP's Racial Equity Vision Statement is to apply a racial equity lens when setting policies, projects, and programs related to DEP's Mission, ensuring the inclusion of diverse groups, especially frontline/underrepresented communities:

  • Racial equity lens: A racial equity lens is the set of questions we ask ourselves throughout the decision-making process. The lens interrupts the impact of unintended consequences by taking into consideration the lived experiences and perspectives of the racially diverse communities we intend to serve.
  • Frontline/Underrepresented Groups: Describes a group of people whose members are disadvantaged and subjected to unequal treatment by the dominant group, and who may regard themselves as recipients of collective discrimination.

Operating Budget

Organizational Chart

DEP Org Chart

Performance and Results

DEP's Performance Plan lists each of DEP's Headline Performance Measures and identifies how well the Department is achieving results through succinct analysis highlighting contributing factors, limiting factors, and ways DEP aims to improve its performance. It also outlines the Department's operational efficiency.

  1. Amount of Pollutant Removed Through the Watershed Restoration Program

  2. Average Number of Days to Resolve Incoming Environmental Complaints

  3. Percent Satisfied with DEP's Response to Environmental Complaints

  4. Average Visits to DEP Websites

  5. Total Solid Waste Generated in the County

  6. Tons of Total Municipal Solid Waste Recycled

  7. Missed Collection (Refuse and Recycling) Complaints per Week

  8. Percent of Businesses in Compliance with Recycling Reporting

  9. Single-Family Solid Waste Charges

  10. Percent of Commercial Buildings in Compliance with Benchmark Laws