Speech and Testimony
County Executive Leggett’s Remarks at the Transforming Communities Summit
As prepared
Good morning.
I would like to thank Executive Baker and the other speakers for their comments, accomplishments and leadership.
We are here today working as one region as we strive to fulfill the promise of a cleaner, healthier Anacostia River watershed that touches all of our jurisdictions.
Montgomery County is also proud to have committed to the wider and more comprehensive Potomac Trash Treaty in 2005. And it’s been 10 years since the first Treaty Summit in 2006.
We have been using the principles outlined in that Treaty to guide our efforts in meeting the goals of a trash free Potomac watershed.
We are pleased with the progress we have made since the agreement was signed.
In the last five years alone, we have constructed over 1,100 storm water runoff control projects through our Department of Environmental Protection’s Watershed Restoration program and will be improving another 350.
Many of these practices stop trash before it gets washed into our local streams and into the Potomac.
As these facilities are maintained, the trash is removed.
In FY15, we estimate that the stormwater Best Management Practices installed in just the Montgomery County portion of the Anacostia River will have captured over 11,000 pounds of trash.
We have transformed the knowledge base of our communities as well by continually running the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s regional anti-litter campaign ads within our jurisdiction since 2011.
Since the campaign was developed, Montgomery County has run the campaign on 190 bus shelters, over 150 County RideOn Buses, and the 125 recycling collection trucks – the entire fleet.
AFF Posters have been distributed to several community partners and to all Montgomery County Public schools.
We have transformed our laws and policies – having pushed for innovative legislation to help stop littering at its source and reduce the use of the most common “trash” items found in our local waterways.
The carryout bag law was implemented in 2012 requiring all retailers to charge 5 cents for paper and plastic bags which helps to fund litter reduction programs
The polystyrene ban began January 1st of this year to end the use of this problematic litter item, and instead use only recyclable or compostable alternatives.
We have transformed our agencies.
During my tenure multiple county agencies now work with each other to encourage increased recycling and to enforce illegal dumping and littering issues.
Continuing our longstanding commitment to reduce waste and recycle more, in 2012 I increased our goal to one of the highest across the nation – and that is to reduce waste and recycle 70% by 2020.
We are expanding recycling programs in order to divert more materials from the waste and recycle them instead.
We are ramping up enforcement of uncovered or improperly covered vehicles hauling solid waste that will often leave trash in our neighborhoods.
We are conducting street sweeping in targeted trash hot spots to keep our streets, streams, and communities clean. Placing and maintaining trash and recycling containers at County owned public areas.
We have also transformed several volunteer programs, by coordinating such activities as Adopt-A-Road, orchestrating a multitude of community clean ups to remove trash from the County right-of-way.
These programs have the added benefit of helping to educate the public about litter issues and encourage people to change littering behavior.
Lastly, our communities are being transformed by partnerships.
Such groups as Impact Silver Spring, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Friends of Sligo Creek, Eyes of Paint Branch, and Neighbors of Northwest branch have been instrumental in organizing and educating the region.
These groups are actively bringing our Anacostia communities together by supporting anti-litter efforts through advocacy, local research, surveys, open forum community presentations, distributing campaign materials and collaborative stream cleanups like the annual Sweep the creek.
I am proud to say Montgomery County has been a very active partner in the Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership, and the Alice Ferguson Foundation, along with other partners to meet our region’s trash reduction goals and achieve a Trash Free Potomac River.
While our collective goal of a trash-free Potomac has not yet been realized, I want to stress that Montgomery County is fully committed to doing our part to help the region realize that objective.
We will continue to form partnerships to develop innovative and effective anti-littering and trash free programming in our County.
We want everyone involved – environmental groups, community groups and the business community.
We are excited about new projects we are developing to keep pushing the envelope towards accomplishing trash- free communities.
You will hear more about our future plans for programs and coalitions later in the program from Lisa Feldt, our fine director of the Department of Environmental Protection.
In the meantime, we are keeping up the good work, and are pleased to join with everyone else who is as well.
Tuesday, March 2, 11:30 a.m.
Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, 7801 Alumni Dr., University of Maryland Campus, College Park